I attended a funeral recently for a man I didn’t know well. His daughter is a friend from church, his wife a friend from book club. “It is better to go to a house of mourning,” scripture says, “than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). I need a reminder, every now and then, of how short time my time on earth is, so I’ll make every day count. Ron’s funeral reminded me of some important life lessons.
1) Life is hard—don’t whine about it. Ron grew up with seven siblings and little money. To help out, he assisted his brother with his paper route so he could buy a bicycle and start his own route. Ron worked hard and finally bought a bike—and that very day a car backed over it and destroyed it. What did Ron do? He started all over again, working to save for another bike. As an adult, he applied the same work ethic and perseverance to start his own business, slowly growing it over the years.
Photo Credit: christian.senger via Compfight cc
I admit I’m a whiner. I love telling sob stories so everyone will feel sorry for me. But the trials we face build character—and often reveal our character. Yes, life is hard…but God is good.
2) People Matter. Ron’s office manager gave one of the most touching eulogies. “He was more than my boss,” she said. “He was a father to me, and a friend.” People were very important to Ron. Even the doorman from his condominium attended his funeral, weeping throughout the service. Ron knew when to leave work behind and spend time with family, attending their sporting events and programs, taking vacations together. His “family” grew into a huge extended one with plenty of love to go around.
People matter to God, and therefore they should matter to me. Is my heart large enough to encompass all the people God sends my way—including the doorman?
3) Our legacy. Ron was generous with his time, his money and his possessions. He and his family chose “birthday verses,” using the month and day of their birth to select a Bible passage that spoke to their heart. Ron chose 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously…for God loves a cheerful giver.” Ron loved buying gifts for his family and was generous to strangers, as well. His wife had to restrain him from over-tipping in restaurants.
Am I living a life of generosity or sowing sparingly? As I sifted through my closets and storage rooms in preparation for our move, I was struck by the sheer amount of stuff I had stashed away. Why didn’t I donate it years ago?
We’ve heard these truths before, in many forms: Jesus’ parable of the Rich Fool who needed to build larger barns for all his stuff; Lazarus and the rich man whose concern for his family’s spiritual life came much too late. And remember Jesus’ words about not storing up treasures on earth? There are no U-Haul trailers behind hearses.
The legacy I leave behind doesn’t consist of my possessions or the money leftover in my retirement account after I’m gone. I’m building a legacy every day with all the seemingly minor choices I make, the priorities I choose, and the way I treat people. And when I graduate to heaven, I hope I’m remembered for showing the love of Christ to others.
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As I’ve frequently reminded people, there are no drawers in caskets.
That’s so true, Jeri. If only we could remember that day-to-day.
Thank you for your wonderful words. This truth has stayed with me after I spent months of sitting at the beside of my late husband while he was under hospice care. When you walk through a hospice ward you know what a gift life is, and it changes you and how much you come to value even the breath we have.
I try to thank God every day for His life gift to me and those I love.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jackie. You’re right, we do forget what a gift life is. And we forget to treasure that gift. And to use our time wisely.
Great reminder’s Lynn. I especially liked the way you summed things up in the beginning – Life is hard, but God is good. If we could just remember that last piece it would counter-balance all the hard things we go through and allow us to experience the joy and peace that make everything bearable.
I think Jesus told us that “God won’t give us a stone if we ask for bread” because sometimes God’s good answers to our prayers look a lot like stones! But God is good…all the time.
A great reminder to start a new week! It gives me reminder that people matter more than a spotlessly clean house. People matter more than getting everything done that you want to each day. And little people matter even more, because they will be little so short of a time. I tell myself each time that one of my children want me to do something with them – Praise, God – they ask, number one! And is there anything more important? Since the birth of our granddaughter, a lot of things are not done the way I would like, I am constantly trying to make every minute into two but every minute with her is worth it. Memories made for me, at this time and hopefully, some day for her. Do we leave a path behind us that sweep because they no longer want to see our footprints or do we leave footprints that people want on their paths as a reminder?
Beautifully said, Susan. Enjoy your little granddaughter. She’ll remember you, not your clean house.
Thank you for sharing these powerful words. I am bookmarking this so that I can easily find it again. I only hope that my life will also be one that will be remembered as counting to others. Blessings to all who may read this!
I’m so glad my reflections were meaningful to you, Connie. God bless you!
Thank you for sharing these reminders with us, Lynn. Ron sounds like he was a wonderful man who touched and blessed many lives.
Your comment about realizing how much “stuff” you had stashed away struck a chord with me. As I’m trying to de-clutter, I’m being reminded that others could be getting some use out of some of my “stuff” now! 😉
Thank you again for this post today, and I’m praying you’re getting all settled in your new home. 🙂
Hi Patti Jo. Thanks for your prayers. Yes, we are starting to feel settled. And all of the things I still can’t find will eventually show up, I’m sure! The move was definitely worth it! And from now on my motto is: Live Light!
Lovely reminders, Lynn. Thank you!
So well said, Lynn. And so true. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
It’s easy to give away things we don’t need.
It’s harder to donate things you really love and need. That’s what God sees.
Beautifully said. This is exactly what I needed this morning. Thank you.