A Life of Faith

-
I sat in a cemetery today and realized that I was surrounded by family members who had left me such a legacy of faith. My parents, grandparents, and an aunt: all of them who had lived a life of faith and now it was up to me. Their faith has been realized; home with their Lord.

When my children sit at my grave site or my grandchildren see my name, what legacy will I have left?

I don't think my parents ever did anything "great" for the Lord: they didn't write books, or go on speaking tours, although my dad did lead singing on TV when our church services were televised. But what I do know is that they were faithful: singing and serving, tithing and teaching Sunday school, just doing that day in, day out serving the Lord kind of stuff. Raising a family and being consistent in what they said and what they did. Nothing spectacular but significant nonetheless because of their influence I am who I am and doing what I am doing.

There is nothing like spending time among the dead to make one reassess how they're living.
I may end up doing nothing spectacular either by the time I've come to the end of my days, but I've realized again today that I just need to live faithfully - day in and day out - and trust that when all my days have been accounted for that my life will have also been significant.

And these words said of my life also"...they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord." Psalms 107:43

Comments

Karen said…
. . . And their spiritual legacy lives on in you, and in everything you write here that encourages my faith and the faith of all those who read it!
March 27, 2008 at 10:41 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

There is a man named Don Casey

-
Image
There was a man named Job. He was a godly man (...that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil - Job 1:1) A careful man ( When the days of the feast had run their course Job would rise early...and offer burnt offerings...For Job said, 'It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts' Job 1:5) A faithful man   (...this Job did continually. Job 1: 5) A man blessed by God. (...this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. Job 1: 3) but then, apparently , he wasn't. His children were crushed when the house collapsed, enemies and fire destroyed all the animals and servants. He was a man suddenly engulfed by calamity and inundated by infirmities; covered in boils from head to foot. His wife told him to curse God and die. His friends told him all he had done to deserve such judgement from God. And Job wondered about it all and  asked God "Why?". There is a man named Don Casey.
Read more

Friends

-
2008 has been such a relational year so far for me. I set up a Facebook account and from there discovered high school and college friends and even kids I used to baby-sit who now have growing families of their own. It’s been a time of reconnecting to people I never knew I’d have contact with again and it’s been interesting to see how we are the same people today that we were twenty years ago; only a little more worn out from use! When I was a child, I remember hearing in a sermon that in your life you will be lucky if you can count the number of true friends you have on one hand. That was preposterous to me! One hand? Five friends? I had way more than five friends! Of course I didn’t have the perspective at twelve that I do now. Now I understand. My definition of friend has matured with my years and I am so blessed by those “friends” who have matured along with my definition. Is there any thing in this world as amazing as a friend? One with whom you can open your soul and know they are
Read more

Safe

-
My daughter came stumbling into our room at 4 a.m. “I had a bad dream”, she said as she crawled into bed. Did she want to talk about it? An immediate, adamant “No!” Ten minutes she was sound asleep safe in her dad’s arms. Safe When she experienced this bad thing she went to where she would feel safe. Later in the morning she told me about her bad dream and it wasn’t as scary to her in the 7 am brightness as it had been in the dark. Could we have explained that it wasn’t that bad and just a dream to her in the middle of the night? Not a chance, at that point she just needed to feel surrounded and protected. When trouble comes, overwhelming troubles like the constant crashing of waves on the seashore, where do you go to be safe? I wrap myself in scripture and claim the promises that God is… a refuge and help in time of need (Psalms 46) the Shepherd who supplies my needs and walks with me through the valleys (Psalms 23) the God who knows the way that I am taking (Job 23) who delights in e
Read more