A young friend of mine recently spoke to the congregation about his genealogy. He mentioned that his mother was descended from a King. I thought he forgot that her genealogy is his genealogy and that HE is descended from a King as well!
It’s a good thing to feel special about yourself when learning that your ancestors were somehow special. The surname BRUCE appears in the line of Max Augustus LINN as his great grandmother. BRUCE may be related to royalty of the Scottish. More research is in order before we claim Robert the BRUCE.
Finding a noble ancestor in the kindred tree can give a feeling of worth that helps us know how important we are. The word ‘noble’ has two meanings:
1. someone belonging to a family line of high social or political status
2. someone who has fine personal qualities associated with words like virtuous, honorable, upright, decent, ethical, and reputable.
The latter definition seems to be a more desirable and important heritage than the former aristocratic one. The truth about ancestors is that they have had their turn on earth and we cannot change who they are or what they did. We simply cannot choose who our kindred are. Some may have been noble, some may not have been. We can only learn from their examples and make good choices for our selves. It’s hard to imagine, but we too, will leave a legacy to those who come after us. Will it somehow reflect nobleness?
Donald Lawrence, a gospel singer, sings about our potential to find our own nobility, or royalty with this lyric:
You come from royalty . An aristocratic dynasty. . . There’s power when you speak. Be mindful of words you release. . . There is a King in you . . .Watch two ministering mimes perform their interpretation of Donald Lawrence’s song “There is a King in You”:
My Kindred Tree 