This week I attended two funeral services.
The first was for my Uncle Pickles and the other was for the father-in-law of a longtime friend of mine.
Much like you, I have attended many such services in the past. I most likely will do so in the future.
As the memorial services began, I was sat down on the proverbial pew and had placed on my head an imaginary thinking cap.
The minister began each service with a statement similar to this:
“On behalf of the immediate family, we thank you for taking the time to attend this service to celebrate the life of _______.”
The statement did not strike me as weird or out of place; it simply struck me – period!
It’s like staring out a window pane and seeing what comes into view.
One’s life is reduced to a few parting comments about how they lived and the impact they made on the lives of others in his or her sphere of influence.
There are times when the words spoken about the life of the person are uttered by the minister.
At other times those attending the services are offered the opportunity to say a few words about what the deceased meant to them or their family.
In either case, the statements of another person serve to distill the lifetime of one into a few short sentences.
Questions started to swirl under the thinking cap:
- When will my time come?
- What might be said of me?
- Who might be saying it?
- Did I make a positive difference in someone’s life, anyone’s life?
- Was I a blessing to my wife, my daughters, their husbands, my grandchildren, external family, or friends?
- Did anyone give a rip that I was here?
It REALLY got me thinking!
It brought to mind a great quote from the movie, Gladiator – “What is done in life echoes through eternity”.
In a previous post I reflected on a great book I recently read which encouraged me to count the days upward and to make a difference versus counting the days downward as sands slipping through an hour glass.
In other words, make each day count!
Today is my 20,575th day! I am grateful for it.
It brought to mind a verse by which to live and one I have added as a “life verse”.
It reminds me to “number my days”.
The recent reflective moments brought to mind a wonderful poem by Linda Ellis entitled The Dash.
It is certainly worth reading it. It is even more impactful hearing it recited.
What happens in the years represented by the dash, the little line between your birth date and the date on which you leave this world, is your legacy.
None of us is getting any younger – I don’t think there is a pill for that even though I might like to think there is.
I can live my life intentionally, on purpose, and with a purpose.
It made me consider one thing – what will I do with my today?
By pondering the question I may perhaps take some of the guess work out of what might be said about me when “the roll is called up yonder”.
How about you?
What will you do with your today?
What can you do this day and the next and the next, assuming you don’t depart today, to author your best story and to make a difference in the lives of others?
Photo Courtesy of Brittany Castillejo
Food for thought Bruce. I love The Dash – so beautifully expressed. Yes, God has specifically created this very day for me and has a purpose for me to fulfill in it. It makes each day exciting regardless of the tasks it includes. I find it encouraging and maybe a little frightening that even when I don’t realize I am impacting someone else – I most likely am. I always want it to be for good! A great read on a Friday morning my friend!
Seize the day and all that it contains – time to go drink my H20!!