Mary Ross

   

Year 6 - Day 221: Today, I am grateful for the life, courage and inspiration of Mary Ross. 

I love learning people's stories. I learned quickly in social services that where we come from matters, but even more important is how we roll with what today hands us. Today can always be unpredictable. 

Mary Ross would be 110 today, but she died in 2008. Not that long ago. She was the great granddaughter of Cherokee Nation Chief John Ross. She was a brilliant engineer for Lockheed Corporation and worked on "preliminary design concepts for interplanetary space travel, manned and unmanned earth orbiting flights and the earliest studies of orbiting satellites for both defense and civilian purposes" (Jasmin Williams, Mary Golda Ross, Amsterdam News, NY 04/10/13). 

What a woman. A scholar  who entered college at sixteen. She never let anything stand in her way. Some would say she paved the way, but from what I read... she did the work and the path cleared. Her ethnicity and gender didn't matter. She dazzled them with her brilliance. On colleague, Norbert Hill, said, "She was just one of the guys. She was as smart as the rest of them and held her own."

No, Mary certainly grew up with prejudice and those who wrote her off for her gender or race, but apparently she just kept pressing on. Her research was a part of the Apollo moon program during the 60's and 70's. Imagine that? Considering what we learned in "Hidden Figures", it might not have been "man" that put man on the moon. There were key women involved. 

If everything was fair in life, her story would not be as amazing. She achieved in spite of the obstacles. She saw the power in education and kept questioning and learning. She knew who she was and what she could do. In time, others saw it, too. She would seek until she would find. She would question until she had answers. 

I cannot help but think of the disciple, Peter. He is the first of the disciples who really speaks his belief in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. More than a good teacher, healer or prophet. He declared Christ as Lord. He was paving the way for others to believe and receive. Three of the four gospels record this interaction between Peter and Jesus. It matters. We should pay attention. 

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” -Mark 8:29

These guys were from different backgrounds, but there were learners and seekers. They wanted to know more. Then the day came that they had to choose who they would be... and who they would be in Jesus. Were they merely for him... or with him. They chose with him. 

Peter is a favorite of mine for his boldness and almost irrepressible passion. He and Paul had so much in common in that way. Their potential was there, if they chose to seek, question, pursue and pave the way for those who would follow. They didn't let their history, ethnicity or previous failures get in the way of the work of the gospel. They pressed on and did the work. 

We all have work to do today. We can chose to let Him use us for the kingdom's work. He can take our gifts... and even our weaknesses... and use them for his glory. We can be inspired by those who press on and don't give up. 

It isn't really all about "who you are". The answer is figuring out who you are in Christ. Then, do the work.

I do enjoy a good biography that inspires. 

Today, I am grateful for the life, courage and inspiration of Mary Ross.