Gustava (1895-1982, married 1917), my grandmother, beloved wife to Jack Sr., nicknamed ’Tava by some family members, was of Finnish blood, with a smattering of Swedish. Her parents immigrated to the US, where the patriarch of the family, Samuel Gustafson, apparently changed their surname either from Pruki or to Pruki to avoid discrimination (from either the Finns or the Swedes). Family lore is a bit fuzzy on this, so we leave it to learned historians to figure all that out.

If, as some say, all life is a stage, then ours is a bit role, overshadowed by the much more significant events and characters of history. However, like the person identified in the credits as one of the unnamed soldiers standing in the background among the crowd, we all search for our names in the sands of time. Caesar Augustus, the first and the greatest of the ancient Roman emperors, is reported to have said at the end of his life (ca. A.D. 14), “If I have played my part well, clap your hands, and dismiss me with applause from the stage.” He wanted to be remembered, to be celebrated for his outstanding accomplishments, one of which was creating the Pax Romana, a time of relative peace in the ancient world that formed the background to the birth of Christianity. History has recorded him as one of the greatest leaders of all time. Who of us hasn’t heard of the Caesars?

But the name Pruki? And what did Gustava do that was historically significant? Well, for a start, if she had never existed, or had not married Jack Sr., then I would not exist—or at least one-quarter of me would not exist, and the gene pool progression would have resulted in someone who would be three-quarters of who I am now! So, yes, I think Gustava Pruki is quite historically significant—as is everyone else in my genealogical upline, all the way back to Noah and Adam.

On the stage of life, the Master Director knows every player, no matter how large or small. Each of us has a starring role in God’s sight, as the ancient poet wrote:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways … For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:1-3, 13–14)

And if we have played our part well, we may not receive accolades from our fellow humans, but we can look forward to the applause of heaven. Our significance is encompassed not in greatness defined by human standards but in being assured of our relationship with God and living for Him:

Therefore …  be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. (2 Peter 1:10–11)