A Fair Loss
by S. M. Hutchens
Most of my written work over the years has been, for one reason or another, lost. I accept this as part of the vanity to which we are subject in this world, so cannot let it bother me. God imposes this as a condition of a life which itself will at length be lost. It is part of his character not only to remember, and to cause to be remembered, but also to forget, and to cause to be forgotten. I can't decide which of these divine attributes I value more, since at certain times I wish him very much to remember, and at others, very much to forget.
I therefore accept the loss of my work, even my best work, as a fair deal. No man is made "immortal" by his work, but by the measure of his faith in the estimation of his Creator. It is in this, and only in this, that the work of our hands will be established.
S. M. Hutchens is a senior editor and longtime writer for Touchstone.
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