A Lasting Legacy

There's a old Jewish legend that goes like this: One day, a great rabbi's young student asked him, "Oh, good Teacher...When is the best time to make sure you are right with God?"
The old man answered him, "One minute before you die."
"But, Master!" said the student, "You can't possibly KNOW when you will die!"
"Ahh," replied the Teacher, "Then you should do it right away!"

I learned today that a man my husband used to work with passed away. He'd been ill for a number of years with a neuromuscular disorder and had been confined to a wheelchair a good bit of those last years. He left behind a devoted wife, 3 daughters, 2 step-sons, and his parents. He was only 46 years old.

My own husband, Clay, only had 58 years of life and I thought THAT was much too short a time. To think that this man didn't even get to see his 50th birthday, leaving while he was still what most of us would consider a young man, made me feel so sad. His life was too brief and too filled with illness and difficulty. His youngest daughter is still just a little girl and, though I'm sure she will always remember her daddy, in time, her memory of him will just be bits and pieces...a faded picture of a frail man in a chair.

As sad as the story may be, though, he did have one real blessing in his passing, a blessing in common with my husband...he had time.

I'm sure that neither this man nor Clay ever totally embraced their impending deaths in their heart of hearts. I don't know that anyone, no matter how grim the prognosis, could ever really wrap their minds around reality and truly, completely resign themselves to death and "go gentle into that good night." Clay knew for a while that his time was growing short and he faced that approaching ending with a peace and grace, but I know for sure that there was always a tiny spark of hope burning to the very end that he might still win a "reprieve."

He wasn't a fool either, though. The end was on the horizon but, while he was still on this side of the Jordan, he recognized that there was TIME...time to mend fences, time to wrap up loose ends, time to heal the past, time to give one last hug, one last "I love you," one last "see ya later." It didn't turn out to be nearly as much time as we would have hoped for and were praying for, but it was enough to say and to do the things he needed to do.

In those last days, as he began to slide over to the other side, I sometimes thought he was already catching glimpses of his eternity. Some days, he didn't seem like he was still here with us, so much as he was already anxiously straining to see the face of God. He read his Bible ravenously, watched his favorite t.v. preachers until all hours of night, and would suddenly, excitedly say, "Come here and listen! I just saw something in the Scripture I never saw before!" Looking back now, I realize that he was packing his bags for the Trip.

What he was also doing was leaving his children, his mama, and me SUCH a wonderful gift! Even though we miss him so dearly these days, there isn't a minute where we ever look at each other and wonder where he is or what he's doing. The blessing of TIME that Clay had in those last days were also a lasting blessing to us because we have the absolute assurance that he is safe, and healed, and happy, and at Home with his dad, brother, grandmother and a host of other relatives who have gone on before. We easily and joyfully picture him with drum sticks in hand, playing his drums with the Heavenly choir, praising God with the biggest smile on his face. We know that he'll be first in line to welcome each of us when our time comes to join him there!

Unfortunately, in life, we know that not everyone who passes on has that gift of the time to make ready. Too often, we hear tragic stories of sudden heart attacks, terrible auto accidents, brutal murders, and so many other awful tales of people who were living and breathing one second and gone the next. Just a few weeks ago, how many people were instantly snuffed out by the horrendous earthquake in Haiti!? There was no time for them to even realize they were about to die, much less leave any sort of lasting legacy behind...not even a instant to say goodbye!

For those people, we can only hope that, like the Teacher's words in the old legend, they had already recognized that we never know the exact hour of our death and had made their peace with God. We can only pray that not only did they express their love for their friends and family, but they also shared their love for their Lord so that when they were gone, those left behind would have the comfort of knowing their passage into the next Life was secure.

I know two young women whose mother was killed instantly a number of years ago in a sudden car wreck. One day, one of her daughters tearfully told me, "I don't know where my mama is. I don't know if she's in Heaven." What an awful, bitter legacy to leave your child with! Every day, this poor young lady suffers the nagging, agonizing fear that she truly may never see her mother again.

Too often, in this day and age, we are seduced by the media lie that our faith should be "personal and private." Nothing could be further from the truth. If we love the Lord, have made Him our Savior, and know, without a doubt that we are going Home one day to spend Eternity with Him, we should shout it from the rooftops and make sure that all who know us and all who love us never have to wonder if we have found peace when we die. Those of our loved ones who also have Jesus in their life will be left with the joy, in the midst of their grief, of knowing that the parting will be brief and that they will see you again at Home. Those, on the other hand, who haven't yet come to know the Lord may be pursuaded to seek Him out when they see what strength and hope He has given you.

In any event, as long as you are still breathing, you have time. It may be years or it may be minutes, but you can make the most of it. You can leave a lasting legacy!