June 15, 2026 | Moments Almanac | Josiah

Welcome to Moments Almanac, a time to remember the people, places, and events that leave fingerprints on the soul. I hope you're having a good day today on June 15th, 2026. And today we remember the birth of Josiah Henson, born on this day, June 15th, 1789. Many people have never heard his name, but they know a character inspired by his life. Henson's autobiography helped shape the title character for Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cadden. Yet history has played a strange trick. The phrase Uncle Tom eventually became an insult. It came to describe someone weak or compliant, but the real Josiah Henson was neither. Born into slavery in Maryland, Henson knew hardship from his earliest days. His family was torn apart. He witnessed cruelty. He carried burdens few of us can even imagine. Yet through it all, he held tightly to his Christian faith. On one occasion, he had the opportunity to escape alone with a large sum of money. Instead, he returned. He chose integrity, even when dishonesty might have secured his freedom. Years later, after discovering that promises of freedom would never be honored, Henson escaped with his wife and children to Canada. There he built a new life, not merely for himself, but for others. The old spiritual gave voice to the longing of countless enslaved people, including Josiah. Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt land, tell old Pharaoh, let my people go. Henson's journey was not merely an escape, it was an exodus. And once he found freedom, he spent the rest of his life helping others find it as well. He was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. After gaining his own freedom, Henson repeatedly risked his life by returning to the U.S. to guide over 100 enslaved people to safety. He became a preacher. He established schools. He helped formerly enslaved people find work, dignity, and hope. He spent the rest of his life lifting others toward freedom. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Josiah Henson understood those words. He faced evil without allowing it to shape his soul. He suffered injustice without surrendering to bitterness. He chose faithfulness when resentment would have been easier. There's a lesson there for me and for you. We do not get to choose every circumstance that comes our way. We can't always control what others do to us. But we can choose the kind of people we become in response. Josiah Henson reminds us that character is forged not in comfort, but in adversity. And so we honor Josiah as we honor the Lord on this day. This has been Scattered Moments Almanac for June 15th, 2026. I hope you'll join me tomorrow. Until then, take care. Notice the scattered moments and share the grace.