Yesterday I sat at the funeral of a dear man, whom was the father of a dear friend of mine. As I sat there with my friend Joanne, we listened as our friend, and her siblings shared stories about their beloved father who had lived an amazing, adventurous and positive full life. We laughed with them, and cried with them, as they shared of some funny memorable moments, things their father had taught them, and the goodbyes to him through the tears. This man, father, grandfather, husband, brother, uncle, friend, left a mark on the heart everyone he touched. Even in the few times I personally had a chance to meet him and be around him, brought back memories of my own father flooding back and made me smile. Just the way Henry looked at you with those dancing blue eyes when he laughed or smiled would be unforgettable. I was glad to have gotten such an opportunity.
As my friend and her siblings talked about their father, sharing how much they loved him and missed him and thanked him for everything he had taught them, one couldn't help but think about their own legacy. It is true that one day we will all pass away. My prayer for you is that you know, when you pass away, where you will spend eternity and that it will be with Jesus Christ in Heaven. (John 14:6) .
While you are still here on earth however,what kind of legacy are you creating for yourself right now? How will you be remembered? In the business of life, we can get easily sucked in to it - I am no different. In the simple choices we make on a daily basis are things that we are sowing into our own legacy. Having lost some truly significant people in my own life over the last several years, one of which was my late husband, this topic has always been heavy on my heart. On the day of this funeral, I had buried my own husband 11 years earlier to the very day. I remember it so clearly. So many people shared amazing stories about how my husband Todd had made a difference in their lives as well.
So I ask you, to ask yourself, how will you be remembered? What kind of legacy has God called you to fulfill? (Hebrews 12:1) When you stand before God in judgement one day, what will God say? When your own funeral takes place, what will be said about you? As I walk though life, having made many mistakes but doing my best to focus on Gods will, I pray that at both my funeral, and as I stand in judgement before God (and we all will) that the words that will be said are that I was a "good and faithful servant". (Matthew 25:23) How about you? I have found personally that its never too late to change anything in our lives, unless we just decide to quit trying. So again I ask you, what kind of legacy will you leave?
