The first of the
friends said, "I would like them to say, 'He was a great humanitarian, who
cared about his community.'"
The second
answered, "I hope they say, 'She was a great wife and mother, who was an
example for her family."'
The third friend
responded, "I would like them to say, 'Look! He's moving!'"
Other than
"Look! He's moving!" -- what would you hope others might say about
you at your funeral?
A friend once told
me of a caring and much-loved school nurse who died. She was well known by the faculty
and students, as she had been there 35 years. When the principal announced her
death to the children, many of them began to cry.
To help ease their
grief, the school counselor had a group of children draw a picture of what the
nurse meant to them. One child filled in her paper with red. "This is her
heart," she explained. "It's too big for the paper."
At her funeral her
friends and family clapped and celebrated her life. She left behind a great
legacy of love.
How will you be
remembered? What legacy will you leave behind?
Toward the end of
his life, author and theologian Elton Trueblood made this observation: "At
the age of 93, I am well aware that I do not have many years to live.
Consequently, I try very hard to live my remaining years in such a manner that
I really make a difference in as many lives as possible. How do I want to be
remembered? Not primarily as a Christian scholar, but rather as a loving
person. This can be the goal of every individual. If I can be remembered as a
truly loving person, I shall be satisfied."
After you are gone,
people may forget most of what you have said and done. But they will remember
that you loved them.
No comments:
Post a Comment