How do you want to be remembered?
At 22 years old, this isn’t a question that I often think about. I naively expect to live for at least 50+ more years and believe that I have all of the time in the world to pursue the things that my heart desires. But today at the International church that my squad attended here in Kathmandu, the pastor posed us with just such a question.
How do I want to be remembered? If I were to write a fantasy obituary, it would look a little something like this-
Malorie Joy Finley (Ph. D) passed away in her sleep last night at her beach house in Hawaii. She was 100 years old. Her husband, Chace Crawford (it’s a fantasy, remember?), was by her side.
Finley was best known for holding the #1 spot on The New York Times Bestseller list for over 30 years. The Yale professor ran her 100th marathon on her 100th birthday just 4 months ago. She will be dearly missed by her adoring husband and 4 children.
Sweet life, huh?
It’s so easy for me to get caught up in my own selfish plans and forget the enormous blessings that my heavenly father has bestowed upon me. One of my favorite verses from Psalms that I can always rely on to bring me back to reality after taking a trip to my self-absorbed dream cloud is found in 8:3-4; “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
Luckily I serve a God who is understanding beyond measure and who pours out grace upon grace for when I forget who I really am and who I belong to/live to serve. The harsh reality is that none of us know for sure when we will be called home. What I do know, however, is that I don’t want to be remembered for living to please myself. I don’t want my obituary to be filled with my accomplishments or achievements. I want people to remember me for the way that I made them feel; a person who attracted others to Jesus.
A few days ago I had the opportunity to visit a “low caste” church with two of my teammates. It was hugely apparent that our presence alone there brought so much joy to the people otherwise disregarded by society. After the service I met a woman who appeared to be around my mother’s age. She informed me that just the night before, her husband severely beat her and her daughter (who was my age) simply due to the fact that they were Christian. Getting to encourage and pour out love on her filled me in a way that some fancy degree will never be able to.
I have become so much more appreciative of the man that my own father is after hearing many heartbreaking stories on the race like the above woman’s. My daddy is loving, supportive, hard-working, funny, and unbelievably kind. He treats my mother like a queen and me like a princess. He certainly doesn’t have a New York Times Bestseller or beach house in Hawaii, but he has touched so many lives and shows others the love of Jesus daily. To me that makes him more accomplished than many in this world.
How do you want to be remembered?
UPDATE:
This week my team will be building a church that was ruined during the earthquake. We are all very excited to begin this project! Please pray for the government of Nepal as they are in the process of creating a new constitution, which has resulted in many strikes and protests from the people here.
