The Importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.
                                                  -Martin Luther King Jr.

Every January, our country celebrates Martin Luther King Jr., and rightfully so. He made tremendous sacrifices in order to make our nation a better place, not only for his generation, but for many to come. He fought for justice, taught righteousness, and loved without condition. He lived well, and no one could look at his life’s work and call it wasted.

We tell the stories of both his accomplishments and struggles again and again, as will our children’s children. We are still motivated by his speeches, and inspired by the wisdom in his words.
Perhaps one of the best ways we can honor anyone is by doing just that – truly taking their words to heart. Don’t we feel the most admired when we are truly listened to by our husbands or best friends, and the most respected when our children heed our instructions or take our advice?

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” As we remember this man and celebrate his life, may I challenge you to take a second and truly consider those precious words of his?

Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. What is your life’s work? Maybe you are at stay-at-home-mom, or plan to be in the future. Maybe you’re a secretary or even a CEO. Maybe you are a teacher, or you homeschool your own kids. Maybe you’re even a full-time student, like myself. Maybe you have dreams of being a foster parent or starting your own business. I don’t know your story, but I can tell you with confidence that what you do is important.

Seriously.

You are the only you. You probably say that to your own kids all the time, but maybe haven’t let that truth sink into your own heart. You are valuable, you are significant, you are loved. Until we can start living our daily lives from those truths, instead of trying to earn the rights to them like we would a girl scout badge or a grade on a report card, then we cannot do our life’s work as well as we would like to.
Martin Luther King Jr. probably did not wake up one day and say, “I’m going to change America.” However, each small moment led to another. He knew he could do the task in front of him well, and he did. He did his work, no matter how small; with kindness, passion, tenacity, and love.

That is how we change our marriages.

That is how we change our families.

That is how we change our communities.

That is how, as Martin Luther King Jr. taught us, the world can be changed.
A [woman] should do [her] job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.

How will you choose to live your life today? I hope you will live as though it matters – because it does. If you do, one day others will look back and say, “Her life was well spent.”

And that is something worth celebrating.