What is your legacy? If you were to die, right now, would you be satisfied with the life you have lived?
Could you leave this world in confidence of how you loved, the kindness you showed, the intentions behind every action? Would people mourn you, and even more importantly, would they celebrate you?
We hear this question asked of us all the time. But how often do we really take it to heart?
Today I attended my cousin's funeral. In a tragic accident he was crushed by a semi-truck on his way home from work in the middle of the night. His wife and three precious children (the youngest only a year and a half old) were expecting to wake up to their Daddy in the morning, but they never did and never will again. He died just a month shy of his 32nd birthday. Young. Young and really not that much older than me.
Yes. It is heart wrenching. It is devastating for the family who has, almost cruelly, survived him. For many it would be more than enough cause to question God, His love, His "fairness", His faithfulness, and even His very existence. But today,God was the only thing that kept everyone from falling apart. God was the Hope, the Strength, the unexplainable Comfort.
In every testament of my cousin's life, from his 7 brothers and sisters, his parents, grandparents, in-laws and friends, every person clung to the comfort that because he lived his life for Christ, the great reward would be to see him again in paradise. Every person testified that because he lived his life for Christ, hearts were touched, lives were changed, and that his own served a great and good purpose. Every person could see through the impeccable character, dignity, love, joy, humbleness, generous sacrifice and gentleness of spirit, that my cousin embodied a faith that set him apart. It was testified that his incredible faith and trust in the Lord brought him peace during times of fear. His strong belief in God's plan during his own times of not knowing what steps to take next, gave him the strength and courage to carry on. And now through his example, the same trust and faith in God that carried him during his life, was and is more than sufficient enough to carry all the aches and pains of his loss.
Because it has to be.
This is a season of night.
But through the faith of my family, we can look forward to the Morning. Look forward to the light. Look forward to the day when we are all together in Christ. Because of our atonement and salvation, we can be so grateful and so joyous for the future. Because Jesus died for our sins, we are made clean and can come into a perfect heaven with our perfect God. When the Morning finally comes, my cousin can come Home to his family forever, and can wrap them up in his loving embrace once more. But more than that he can come home to his own Heavenly Father.
For God, our Father, our Daddy, has his arms outstretched, saying, "Come unto Me".
Just like a dad watches to catch his stumbling baby, our Father catches us when we fall and takes us into His arms. And at the end of the day, our God is a Daddy who just wants all of his children to come home.
That is why I am doing The World Race.
Yes, part of it is selfish in that I want to build my own legacy, leave the earth in the confidence knowing I followed my God, served, and loved greatly in His name.
I want to do the World Race as a way of being intentional, so that I can die knowing I have lived for Christ.
You can say that my cousin's premature death has inspired me even more to be a positive influence in this world NOW- to live my life to its fullest, with great purpose and passion NOW- because you never know how long you have.
But even moreso than that, I am doing the World Race to make sure that my own brothers and sisters can come home.
Because how heartbreaking would it be to come home in joy to your Father and the rest of your family, safe, only to realize that your sibling is hopelessly lost somewhere unable to find their way through the Darkness? Unable to come home. Forever.
How frightening. How gut-wrenching. How sad.
That is the true tragedy.
Not a sad accident. Not even death.
The true tragedy is that some people will never come Home. They will never be able to celebrate with us and with our Father in Heaven.
I am going to be Light to the Darkness. I am going to illuminate the path that will lead my brothers and sisters home. To their true Father. To God through our loving Savior. Because our Daddy just wants all of his children to come home.
Now imagine this wonderful scene: You go to heaven. You see God. You see Jesus. You see your family and loved ones and your heart is so full. Then, strangers come running up and embrace you, tears streaming from their face, and they are calling you brother or sister even though you don't recognize them. And then they thank you for bringing them home.
I am going on the World Race to adopt as many beloved siblings into heaven with me as I can.
And you can be a part of that. You can help me bring people home.
You can have a family of strangers hugging you as you come home too!
Will you? Will you help me?
What will your legacy be?