TRANSITIONS
Scripture: When
your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up
your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will
establish his kingdom.—2 Samuel 7:12
My father passed away the Monday of Holy Week 2005. He had suffered a massive stroke 14 months
prior. In the latter months his tired
and worn 84 year old body became weaker and weaker and one day, it simply gave
out. So, it was not a total surprise
when I received the telephone call early that Monday morning saying that he had
passed on. We had been expecting it and
truthfully, I breathed a sigh of relief - it was finally over. Even so, there was an acute ache, a sharp
pain, a deep awareness that a page in our family history had been turned - and
life as we had known it as a family would never be the same.
In the three days between my father’s death and burial, I
labored to find appropriate words to preach at his eulogy. I concluded that in the end, his life had
been quite remarkable. Given where and
how he had started out and how his life ended up, it was clear that he had
beaten the odds in almost every way.
When all had been said and done, he had been a man honor and his life
was worth emulating. For as long as my
father could speak, his words of wisdom to us were simple: love one another,
work hard, do the right thing, do not be afraid.
The question before my five siblings and I was how to carry
on his good name and keep his legacy alive.
We had to figure out how to capture the essence of his being, live it
out and pass it on to our own sons and daughters and grandchildren; and those
we would meet along the way. My father
had done his part, now it was up to us to do ours.
Love one another, work hard, do the right thing, do not be
afraid – these four little nuggets are so simple yet they have become a light
that guides my way in the world.
Somehow, I think if I can just hold onto them and live them out as best
I can, I’ll be alright in the end – somehow.
No comments:
Post a Comment