Yesterday in church, our pastor spoke of Abram and Sarai and their legacy. How the whole world was blessed through Abram’s seed. He shared a book his daughter gave him for Christmas which told his life story. Sharing with him all the fond memories she has with him and beginning to see his legacy.
I sit there, in the third row, and cry. I am like Sarai – I have not given birth to any children. I have helped nurture and mold young women through our youth group but I haven’t given birth to any of my own. Truly, I am ok with that.
When we didn’t have any children, we decided that we weren’t going to do all of the fertility stuff and we didn’t want to adopt. God was, and is, bigger than anything modern science could do. He has blessed us with so many children through friends who simply share their kids with us. We have a beautiful niece (and Godchild) now. God is so good to us and blesses us so undeservedly.
Yet, when I think about my funeral, I wonder who will stand by my casket and greet the mourners. I suppose that it’s a strange thing to wonder about. Yet I wonder about it. Then I wonder if there will be mourners – I realize that’s a big assumption too.
I want to live my life so that I am having an impact on those around me. I want people to miss me when I’m gone. I also want them to remember me.
As a teacher, each lesson has an objective. Basically, it states what I hope the students will learn in order to do something when they leave class, when they are “without me”. In a recent discipleship class, we had to come up with a life goal, our life’s objective, if you will. This is mine: I will meet people where they are spiritually to encourage people along their spiritual walk.
Sunday morning a group of our teens performed in church, three of the four teens, I believe that I have had some impact on. I sat there so proud of them and how they have grown up. How they are still maturing. How they are seeking to serve Christ. Wondering how I can push them along? J
A few Christmas's ago, Pastor Gregg had some sort of...????...(reminded me of Stations of the Cross) set up in the Family Life Center, and one of the exercises was to sit in a chair facing the tree in a corner...doing: NOTHING.
ReplyDelete("ok yeah I'll play your silly little game," I did not say out loud)
.... looking at the tree; staring at the lights....instead of zoning out I became intent on trying to "see" this one particular teardrop-shpaed Christmas light. Among a strand of hundreds it was NO different, but I really wanted to see IT!!!!!!
I tried and tried to really pinpoit the source of light but couldn't! I could only see the brilliance of all the ornaments around it. And how wow! sparkle sparkle mirrors the light!?
Now on the edge of my seat, I was struck with the perspective that when we shine, we do so to benefit everyone around.....not necessarily US.
Thank you Patty for shining. We (Martha defintiely, Me definitely, Wayne, David, Grace personally) benefit from your brilliance...and that kind of shine will never dull.
What I had intended to say - was
ReplyDelete"Thanks ...jenn..."
You inspired me to keep going!