Signs of Life (part I)
"Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." II Timothy 4:8
Memories were flying through my mind last week as I was sitting in a doctor's office waiting for a dear sister to finish her appointed checkup. The waiting room was different than most waiting rooms . The patients were mostly older and with oxygen machines. That visual memory took me back to Miami, Florida where we served the Lord as missionaries.
I was recalling the times I would take my beautiful and elderly Aunt to her Doctor's appointments. I wondered then what I wondered last week while watching the patients; where would they spend eternity? What were their young lives like?
I had peace concerning my aunt because she had been the first one in our whole family to receive Jesus Christ as her Savior 65 years ago! She not only received Him but exposed most of our family members to Christ. She had and still has a strong and bold testimony!
"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them." Ecclesiastes 12:1
"...then the dust will return to the earth as it was. And the spirit will return to God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:7
In that waiting room, I recalled the expressions on the faces of some of the elderly sitting there. While the pains of life, fear and doubt was etched on the faces of some, still others seemed to show great peace and joy even in the midst of their grief.
I believe this is what the author of Ecclesiastes meant.
I began thinking of the verse by asking myself, "Did they remember their creator in the days of their youth? Were they saved? If they were, did they live a surrendered life for Christ? Were they bold? Did they just escape hell?"
Those hard pressed questions ached my mind...
While pondering, I realized that, I too, one day will face aging as they are now. I was thinking about my children's turn to take care of me. Will my testimony speak so loud that I will have that peace from God etched upon my face? Will my children have that same peace, knowing that their "mother" did fight the good fight of faith? I want that, wholeheartedly!
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith." II Timothy 4:7
Steve Green wrote and sang a beautiful song about living a life faithful to Jesus Christ. It goes like this...
"We're pilgrims on the journey, of the narrow road and those who've gone before us line the way.
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary, their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace.
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run the race not only for the prize but as those who've gone before us.
Let us leave to those behind us the heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives.
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful! May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe, and the lives we live inspire them to obey.
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful. After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone, and our children sift through all we've left behind, may the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover, become the light that leads them to the road we each must find!
Oh, may all who come behind us, find us faithful! Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful!
"Faithful" by Steve Green
"My dear Heavenly Father, may we not get weary in fighting the good fight! Give us the strength that you gave those that came before us! May we not take our lives for ourselves as Solomon did when he said at the end of his life, "All is vanity." Give us the boldness to share the gospel with the lost! Help us to leave a legacy of grace, my Lord and Savior!
Thank you my Savior for your promises! Amen!
In Him,
Elaine
Labels: Elaine Bateman, Faith, Responsibilities
posted by Anonymous @ 11:01 PM
11 Comments:
I really enjoyed this devotion, thank you.
Thank you. I remember that Steve Green song, and I remember my dad teaching me how to sing it for a school choir. Dad died 10 months ago. there were so many people at his funeral. So many lives that he touched. and so many who found God through him, or who saw God through him. Made me stop and think. Was I truly living for Christ? or just escaping hell?
The question has led me to change alot in the past few months. I may never touch as many lives as my father did, but I am charged with raising three more. And if I do my job right, who knows how many people these three will reach.
Thanks for the devotion and the reminder of an elderly woman in my life who modeled so much grace and peace and joy for me - my grandmother. I'll be 40 this year, and although I know that not old (it's not, is it?) I find myself starting to think more about how I will go through the aging process and what will I leave for my children and grandchildren to give them a clearer picture of God. Take care. B.
Oh, how very true! Our church choir recently sang "Faithful" at the service to dedicate our multipurpose room in our former pastor's memory. HE was one man who that song described perfectly! To read this brings back that memory--thank you!
Such an important truth! Thank you for sharing!
I, too want to have that look of peace on my face. I want to finish well and to leave a legacy that will point those coming behind me to Him and Him alone.
Thank you for this great devotional. Take care, Cory
I love the verse that you quoted~
II Timorthy 4:7. I try to keep that as my life's mantra. Thanks,Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Very moving and thought-provoking, Elaine. This post has many layers to it.
A very inspiring post. Really something to think about. We seldom think about the impact that we will have on other lives until we are older. Great scripture. This post really makes me think! Thanks for a wonderful reminder. God Bless!
Elanie, Its funny that you should post that because I have been thinking of wnat kind of Legacey I want to live my children with as the years go by the older I get I am aware more and more of my age althourgh I am 40 something I so think about how I will age and if I will age? we do not know when our time is up? But I would like to live foot ptirnts in my childrens heart to blieve and obey in Christ.Marina
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