Come Follow Me & Family History: 1 Samuel 17-18; 24-26; 2 Samuel 5-7
COME AS YOU ARE AND ALLOW THE LORD TO USE YOU
One of the things I love most about David's story is that he didn't try to become someone else before the Lord could use him.
When David arrived at the battlefield, he wasn't a soldier. He wasn't trained in warfare. He wasn't the biggest, strongest, or most experienced man in Israel. In fact, Saul tried to solve that problem by giving David his armor.
But the armor didn't fit.
David realized that he didn't need to become a soldier to accomplish the Lord's work. Instead, he came as he was.
He brought the skills he had already developed while caring for his father's sheep. He brought the sling he knew how to use. He brought the experience he had gained defending his flock from a lion and a bear. Most importantly, he brought his faith in the Lord.
David didn't focus on what he lacked. He focused on what God had already given him.
Sometimes we can feel the same way when it comes to family history. We may think we need to be researchers, writers, historians, or storytellers before we can make a difference. But like David, the Lord simply asks us to come as we are.
Perhaps you are good at listening. Maybe you love photography, cooking, writing, organizing, or talking with family members. Perhaps all you have is a single photograph, a memory, or a desire to learn more.
The Lord can do a lot with what we already have.
David came with a sling, five stones, and faith. It was enough because he placed those gifts in the Lord's hands.
Then I took a children's literature class and fell in love with stories.
One Sunday evening, I attended a fireside on family history. As I listened to the speakers talk passionately about how they had made family history part of their family culture, something clicked. It was evident that those who entered their homes were immersed in that culture. I imagined photographs of loved ones on the walls, heirlooms displayed on shelves, and stories being shared from one generation to the next.
As I sat there listening, the children's books I had read began coming to mind. Along with them came ideas for simple activities and conversations that could help families connect with their own stories. In that moment, I realized I didn't need to become the world's greatest genealogist to share my passion for family history. I simply needed to use what I already had—a deep love for children's books and the way stories connect generations.
Today, my passion is helping mothers discover, preserve, and share stories that connect generations. I want women to see that their stories matter and that family history isn't only found in old records and family trees. It can be found in everyday moments, meaningful conversations, beloved books, and the memories we create together.
Like David, I didn't need Saul's armor. I didn't need to become someone else before I could contribute. I simply needed to bring what I had and place it in the Lord's hands.
Because I truly believe that the moments we create today become the memories they share tomorrow.
Before David was a giant slayer, he was a shepherd.
The skills that helped him face Goliath were not learned on a battlefield. They were learned while caring for sheep, protecting them from danger, and faithfully carrying out his daily responsibilities. Long before he stood before Goliath, the Lord was preparing him through the ordinary work of everyday life.
Family history records often tell us a person's occupation. It is easy to skip over that information while searching for names, dates, and places. Yet occupations can tell us a great deal about an ancestor's life. They offer clues about the skills they developed, the sacrifices they made, and the experiences that shaped them.
David's occupation as a shepherd helped prepare him for Goliath. In much the same way, our ancestors' occupations can help us better understand who they were and how the Lord may have been preparing them for the challenges they would face.
Buses played an important role during the war, transporting children, expectant mothers, and nursing mothers out of London to safer areas. According to the London Transport Museum, 426 transport workers were killed and nearly 3,000 were injured during the war. Yet despite these dangers, my great-grandfather continued to do his job.
One day, an airstrike blocked his path home to his wife and children. The police had cordoned off the road and were not allowing anyone through.
But my great-grandfather could not be held back.
Determined to get home to his family, he sprinted past the barriers and through the chaos until he reached them safely.
I never had the opportunity to meet my great-grandfather, but I will never forget the way my Nan spoke about him. Even decades after his death, she spoke of her father with such love and admiration, as if he were still in the room with us.
His occupation may have been bus driver, but that record tells only part of the story. Behind it was a man who was hardworking, courageous, devoted to his family, and willing to keep going despite difficult circumstances.
My great-grandfather was not called to be a soldier. He did not carry a rifle or fight on the front lines. Instead, he was called to serve in a different way.
As a bus driver, he helped keep London moving during one of the darkest periods in its history. His work transported vulnerable people to safety and helped support a city under constant threat.
The Lord did not ask him to be a soldier. He asked him to be a bus driver.
Just as David did not need to become a soldier before the Lord could use him, my great-grandfather did not need to be on the battlefield to make a difference. He served faithfully in the role he had been given, using the skills, opportunities, and responsibilities that were his.
Sometimes we assume that making a difference requires a grand calling or extraordinary talents. Yet the Lord often works through ordinary people who are willing to faithfully do the work placed before them.
One of the things I love about family history is that even the smallest details can help us better understand our ancestors. A simple occupation listed on a census record or death certificate can reveal the skills they developed, the challenges they faced, and the ways they may have blessed those around them.
David's occupation as a shepherd helped prepare him for Goliath. My great-grandfather's occupation as a bus driver revealed his courage, dedication, and love for his family. What might your ancestors' occupations teach you about them?
ACTIVITY: Occupations
Choose an ancestor and discover their occupation. If you don't know where to start, look on FamilySearch, ask a family member, or search through family records and photographs.
Then discuss:
- What skills would they have needed for this job?
- What challenges might they have faced?
- What qualities did this work require?
- How did their work bless their family or community?
Draw a picture of your ancestor doing their job, or create a list of the character traits their occupation may have helped them develop.
As you learn about their daily work, remember that occupations tell only part of the story. Behind every job title was a real person with dreams, struggles, talents, and a unique contribution to make.
Just like David, our ancestors often used the gifts and opportunities they had to bless others and build a better future for the generations that followed.
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