The Importance of Provenance

While we were on our cruise a few months ago, we were in the inside room (the cheapest, because that’s how we roll) and obviously, when there’d no window and you’re tired of gazing into each other’s eyes, you end up watching TV.   The ship had only about two channels, and one was endless reels of “Antiques Roadshow”.  

Mindlessly numbing, but it got me to thinking about a funny word they use a lot, Provenance. What does it mean? I’m glad you asked. The definition of Provenance is this: 

The beginning of something's existence; something's origin.” For example, when a person, “tries to understand the whole universe and its provenance.”

We all have a ‘Provenance”. And I’ll get to that later, but first let me tell you about Tony’s dad, (Uncle Buddy) and his gun.

Many of you reading this will remember it hung as a mantelpiece over the fireplace in Jody and Buddy’s house in Holly Lake.  How he loved his gun and how he loved even more telling you all about its provenance!

“Well, you see,” he would start winding up and the smart ones of us would take a seat or find a wall to lean on because like all of Uncle Buddy’s stories, this was going to take a while.  

I’ll save you the drama.  The gist of the story was that he bought it off an old man sitting by the road in Liberia, West Africa.  The old man told him that he used it to "shoot Elephants”. I think this bartering went on for some time, and I, by then, had zoned out so I don’t remember the details, but he had many.  

When Dad died some years later, we packed up the things that were important to us, gave the other myriad of things away or sold them for a pittance at a garage sale.  This is a cautionary tale to you out there who share our generation. First, SORT out your stuff that’s important and LABEL it if you want it to continue in the Provenance of life.   Honestly, there were so many things there left after his passing. Even relatives that he’d mentioned but we had no idea where they were or even their names. So much was lost.

But now I’m digressing.

We lovingly carried the gun back to Australia. Of course, we had to get permission as guns are illegal here, but the authorities had a look at it and concluded that it’s operating days were over and we could safely register it as an antique. We’re still looking for a pride of place to hang it but since it actually scares people here who consider this a “no gun” country, we’ve decided to tuck it away in Tony’s inner sanctum, his office.

But one day a friend stopped by, and as he admired it, he said, “Oh this is a muzzle-loading flintlock manufactured in England in the mid 1800s”. We looked it up and sure enough, he was right.

So are you thinking like I am?  

Liberia, West Africa, was founded mostly by freed slaves from the USA following the Civil War in 1865. I’m thinking that old flintlock had somehow made it’s way from England, where it was manufactured, to America in time for the war, then found itself in the hands of a freed slave on his way to Africa, finally ending up with a fellow who had a hankering for tall tales about elephant steaks. 

Can you imagine if this gun could talk? 

I guess my takeaway today is just the encouragement to consider who you are and what you do. Then Write It Down. We all have stories, and they need to be remembered. Speak into the lives you still have sitting around you.  A few years ago we wrote an entire book (it’s on Amazon) about just our lives.  Why?  Not because we’re terribly egotistic (we are) but because three generations from now, we’ll be completely forgotten and we want someone to pick up the book and read about two normal people who Loved the Lord, Loved each other and Loved their families.   

Last week was Father’s Day in the US and I got several sweet letters from people who knew my Daddy and benefitted from his ‘Provenance’.  It really encouraged me to hear these stories, and to realize that I am what I am, largely due to him.  

Both the Old and New Testaments and especially through Jesus Christ tell us plainly; remember your legacy … think ahead and plan for good things to come. So many examples, but here’s one: 

Psalms 127:3 “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from Him.”

Or how about Deuteronomy  6:6-7? “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

The passage continues, but I think you see the point. YOU are a heritage. Keep it alive for all who come after. They will be blessed.

Next week I hope I get permission to tell you about something else that happened on this cruise and how it’s affected the lives of millions here in our state of Queensland.  Stay tuned. 

Marsha