Have you ever thought about what your funeral would look like? Like who would come to mourn the end of your earthly life, the things they would have to say about how you lived, and how you made them feel. Because now all that is if left of your human life is what you have left behind. Would you be proud of your obituary or would you wish it read something else? This morbid and difficult question forces us to truly think about what we want to do in this human life. Is what we are worried about at this very moment important? Are we utilizing our God given talents? Are we happy? Coming to face with these questions can bring you out of the“rut in life” and put you back on the road to where God called you to be.
This is a topic I think about a lot and many wonder why I have been so stuck on this question. But, it is only when we think about death that we can truly think about life. When my best friend passed away suddenly in a car crash at age 24 I recognized that I am not here in this world forever I am merely passing through. It made me realize that if I am not using my life to be God’s vessel, then I have not yet truly lived. It was revealed in those dark hours that true happiness comes in the form of giving away of my gifts not, sitting back and just expecting & waiting on happiness to find me. God brought a question to my mind that day as I sat in the pew of my friend’s funeral, “What are you doing in this life? And what in this life will you leave behind to all of these people?” I thought about it and realized it sure isn’t my career, my home, my clothes, or my money. I had worked my entire life to achieve what I thought was the epitome of happiness. I went to school, worked hard in my career, bought things such as cars and a home, and yet day in and day out I was frantically searching for a purpose. The day of my friend’s funeral I recognized purpose in life comes from surrendering ourselves to God and actually letting him mold us into the person he created, not who we created. We might have created a “life” but, if it is not lined up with God’s life for us, then we will never really understand our purpose and be able to leave the legacy he intends for us to.
Legacy is defined as a thing passed down by a predecessor. The obvious things we pass down from generation to generation are possessions such as estates, jewelry, and wealth. But, if you think back in history and wonder about what was passed down I think of some very influential people and their legacy they left. First Jesus, his legacy is that he taught people about the saving grace of God and inspired people to live for God and in that promise will be brought to eternal life. His legacy is hope. Martin Luther King Jr. battled an entire country against racial inequality without raising one fist. His legacy is peace. Susan B. Anthony is remembered for inspiring women to fight for their equality, she gave women hope in a hopeless time. Her legacy is courage. Helen Keller, who was not remembered by the limitations of her handicaps but, how she overcame and excelled in life despite those limitations. Her legacy is determination. These people have been physically gone from this world for a great length of time, and most of them have few if any physical possessions left. So why do we remember them? We remember them because of how they made people feel and how they inspired people to live. They made people of their time question the way they were living and challenged them to be better. That’s what my best friend did, he challenged me to be better. That is the life I want to live. Maya Angelou sums it up perfectly when she said, “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” Your legacy is your reminder to the world that you made a difference in the lives of others, and through your legacy whether it is hope, courage, determination, or kindness will leave this world in a better shape than it was before you got here. The cold hard truth is that your funeral could be next, what will your legacy say about you?
Motivated Mama 