“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” ― Henry David Thoreau
This morning as 6:37, we received a phone call from Clay's brother that his sweet mama seems to have turned a corner for the worse and may pass away in the next 48 hours. Having heard a few days ago that she had a stroke prepared us for this call. And even now it is a touch and go--should we leave now? Will it be 10 days? When do we arrange the kids' flights?
God has His ways in our lives of reminding us that we are not in control, we think our issues are more important than they really are. Today, as we packed and waited for more information, I was reflecting all afternoon about the deaths and funerals of our other 3 parents who have already passed away, as well as the life Clay's mom lived.
Ecclesiastes 7:2 reminds us:
It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.
So true, death cause us to think about eternity, what really matters, how we have lived, what we can change.
And the living take it to heart--that is what I have been doing all afternoon, taking the issues of death and legacy to heart.
I have been thinking about my own life. What legacy do I want to leave in the minds and hearts of my children while I still have the time?
If I were to die suddenly, what do I want to do right now while I have a chance, to be sure I take action now instead of waiting until it is too late? What would I want them to say about me at my funeral?
I want to leave my children with a verbal blessing, to speak words over their lives that whisper to them them of their intrinsic value every day, the rest of their earthy life, that they were loved, cherished, a gift to me. I want them to know that in the heart of their mama, they were my light, love and most prized possessions.
I want them to know that no matter what they do, they cannot ever be separated from the Love or presence of God.
I would want them to remember that every day, I chose to believe God,
to bring light into darkness,
that I lived like a child in innocence and happiness because I let God handle all of my problems, and asked Him to fight my battles
that I had compassion for the lost and reached out to them in humble love.
I hope they would remember that my greatest wish was that they would love God every day, no matter what, until they see Him face to face.
I want to remember that every day, I stopped to recognize the fingerprints of God amidst my moments--
that I greatly enjoyed beauty,
that music and singing filled my day,
that I loved to laugh often,
to give honor daily to the value of life,
that I stopped to talk to people and validate their significance, because of their worth to God
That I worshipped Him in front of them every day--as I will never have this day to enjoy and celebrate again.
and that I invested in eternity, placing my future treasures in the kingdom of heaven, where we will one day meet to speak of all the ways we saw Him work in and through our lives.
In last moments, I would not mention the messes, or be angry or frustrated, or carry any bitterness--I would just bless them and cover them with love.
What would you like to leave as a legacy to your children? What would you want them to remember because of how you are living today?