Sometimes we take life for granted. I'm guilty of it.
It's similar how you don't realize how often you swallow until you have a sore throat, and it takes every ounce of energy to muster a gulp. Or how you never think about your pinky toe...until you stub it while walking by the couch.
Usually we don't think about life until we meet death.
Well, yesterday I met death. I had the privilege of speaking at a funeral of a friend's father, and it made me contemplate my life. What really stuck out to me about this man is the fact that he is living beyond the grave. I am not talking about in heaven with Jesus (even though I have no doubt about that), but the legacy he created with his family is going to live on for generations.
I never met the man but he has affected my life in ways he would never imagine. I am a better husband, father and follower of Jesus because of him. The lives of my children will be effected because he decided not to settle for good but strived for greatness. His grandson said this about him,
"You see a good man will live a good life with a good family. But when they die, that is the final chapter. But a great man refuses to settle for good, and they strive for a great life with a great family. And that is just the beginning. A great man leaves a legacy."
The impact of this man's life cannot be quantified, but it will definitely be felt in the lives of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He left his mark on the world.
As I sit here typing this, I can't help but ask myself, "Am I going to live beyond the grave?" Is my love for people going to extend to my children's children? Is my joy for life going to effect some random guy doing my funeral someday?
People may be forgotten but a legacy never dies.
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