Friday; August 28
On January 24, 1848 a guy named James Wilson Marshall found a few flakes of gold in California’s American River near John Sutter’s Mill. This may not sound like news; but this seemingly insignificant discovery made a substantial difference in the history of the United States. When people back east heard about the discovery, there was a westward migration that resulted in what has been called California’s Gold Rush. Not only did the discovery change the landscape of California, it left its footprint (or more accurately, its wagon trails) all over the western half of the continent. I share this for more than a history lesson, I point it out to remind us that sometimes small things can have a huge impact. Just as Marshall’s discovery of an insignificant amount of gold influenced millions of people, so can other gems we find. No, I am not talking about valuable minerals, I am talking about positive character traits. When we publicly identify qualities such as peace, love, forgivenes