Call me crazy, but I enjoy walking through old graveyards and reading the headstones. I consider the dates and then picture what life may have been like for those whose names are engraved above them. For most of these people, the only memory that remains are simple words in a single line of text on a gravestone. For a few, they may also be remembered in a sentence or a paragraph in a journal or history book somewhere. For even less, their lives touched so many that chapters, and even volumes, have been written about their accomplishments.
In the days following my mother’s death in 2020, we received many words of encouragement from the numerous people whose lives she touched. We enjoyed sharing stories of how she influenced others in so many different ways. As I grow older, this has caused me to reflect upon my own life. Am I doing enough to help others? Am I a godly reflection of His love? Have I made a difference? I have no misguided aspirations for fame. There are many examples in the Bible where greatness warranted a mere mention, sometimes without a name. However, God knows the name, and He took time to mention the works.
Ecclesiastes 1:4 says, One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. Knowing that the generations to come may long forget me, I cannot help but wonder if my entry in the history books will be worthy of a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire chapter. At the very least, I hope to live in such a way that my life can be used to influence others to find eternal hope in Jesus. If I have but one line, I want it to be “she showed the love of God to others.”
Today, let us each consider this: “Am I living my life in a way that matches what I want my entry in the history books to be?”
by Melissa Caperton
