Once again, Fran and I have been hard at work deconstructing the accumulated stuff of our parents. We have made a couple of trips across the mountains and need to make a couple more to finish preparing for sale the home of 40+ years and to move a loved one to a new state and a new living situation. We have dispersed thousands of pounds of things and collected boxes of records and memorabilia. I have taken on the task of scanning the documents to share with siblings as arrangements are made. They document the legacy of their lives and some of how they have impacted others.
Among the documents are a history of multiple life insurance policies. As I’ve thought about it, most insurance is intended to restore things to how they were before a loss occurred. A life cannot be restored by a policy; it can only soften the physical hardship for those left behind. It is a part of our legacy, what we leave behind as the evidence of our lives. Larry wrote a few weeks ago about Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem walls. He related the effort to Elim’s need to rebuild. The walls were the legacy of Nehemiah and the other families. Our legacies are similar in what we leave behind.
In Nehemiah 3, families are named along with the part of the walls and gates they rebuilt. That is a fairly serious passage since if a part of the wall failed, everyone would know who was responsible. Our families haven’t built any walls or gates; we’re neither captains of industry nor political leaders. But as I looked at pictures of people gathered to celebrate retirement, I saw the legacy of relationships that were built. I’ve repeated several times to my mother that her legacy is wrapped up in three children who are married and are all believers. I have three children, and they are married and are all believers. That is a legacy worth celebrating.
To make it a legacy, though, it has to be something that is passed on. It doesn’t count if it is only momentary—it has to last. In Nehemiah 9, the Israelites gathered together, confessed their sins, and heard the Book of the Law read to them. This was an act of renewing the legacy of their ancestors, hearing the history of their people and their relationship with God. They then claimed that relationship as their own, renewing the legacy we benefit from today.
As we move forward and (hopefully) welcome a new pastor and throw off the bondage of COVID, we will rebuild. Our prospective pastor, Ryan, mentioned several times the legacy of being a community of believers for 137 years. Many lives have been influenced by the ministry of Elim’s people, and if we are to leave a legacy it needs to be a strong foundation of building lives and sharing the good news of our Rock, Jesus Christ.
Hopefully this doesn’t sound morbid, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the end of my life and the impact I might make on the people around me. Martin’s partly to blame for this. He’s been asking questions about people we know who finished well and why they had an impact on us. Another reason I’ve been thinking about finishing well is because last Sunday we celebrated the life of Darlene’s mother, Dotty, who passed a few months ago at the ripe age of 98. Like her husband Fred, who preceded her, she finished well.
Sharing a photo with Darlene’s mom, Dotty, on her 98th birthday celebration last November. Amazing to think she’s now reunited with Fred and walking with Jesus!
But what “finishing well” looked like for her was quite different from what it looked like for Fred and for other people I know who have finished well.
Fred wore his faith in Christ on his sleeve, so to speak. He shared openly about his relationship with Christ and urged all around him to follow Jesus. Outgoing and fearless, he was a talented salesman and a natural-born evangelist.
My own father was similar, but in different ways. He led three of his four sisters to Christ after he himself found Jesus while a student at Seattle Pacific University (where he met and married my mom, already a believer and instrumental in my dad’s salvation). He even led his own father to Christ when my grandpa was on his deathbed! My father was incredibly compassionate and generous. He loved to give and serve.
My own mom died of cancer at the age of 64. But she finished well. She had a vibrant faith in Christ, and was positive and encouraging until the day she died. My mom loved her family and her church well, and was incredibly committed to me becoming all God wanted me to be.
Darlene’s mom also lived to serve others: her husband, her husband’s clients, her kids, extended family, you name it. She wasn’t super outspoken about her own faith, but Christ could be seen in the way she cooked, cleaned, and catered to the needs of those around her.
Because of Martin’s questions, I’ve been thinking about many others you all probably knew and loved. The name Art Nissan is often mentioned when we talk about finishing well. Art was wise and godly, and he carefully nurtured his own connection to Christ. He was simple and humble; he shared his life with those he loved. He made an incredible impact in the lives of many in our church.
Helen Eash springs to my mind as another who finished well. Much like Darlene’s mom, she quietly served those around her and devoted her life to supporting her husband Harold and the many people they impacted on the mission field. Her love for people and for Christ was beyond doubt.
And then there was another man I think “finished well” even though he was very, very different from Art or Helen. Robert Lee was truly a diamond in the rough, far from perfect. A professional tattoo artist (and a good one), his early life was violent and dangerous. But after he found Christ and began attending Elim (his 45 revolver strapped to one leg!), he fearlessly began to change. He had a real and vital relationship with Christ, which he shared with those around him, including his friends from his “darker days.” Now he is dearly missed.
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention our dear friend Nancy Ide. She finished well, at too early an age, but the strength of her faith in Christ and the way she poured into others, even as she herself was being ravaged by cancer, was truly remarkable and praiseworthy.
I think about the things that each of these well-finishers shared in common, and I think if I truly seek to achieve the following four things, I, too, may stand a chance to finish well:
Devotion to Christ as their highest and most important relationship. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. People who finish well leave no doubt that their relationship with Jesus is their first and foremost priority.
They loved the people God placed in the path of their life.Jesus said, “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Each of these people I mentioned were people whose love for others was indisputable. They honored others as more important than themselves and serve others wholeheartedly.
They were fearless.Scripture says “Perfect love casts out fear.” Love for God and faith in Him inspires us to be fearless. No matter what happens in our life, whether it’s the cancer that ravaged Nancy or Alzheimer’s as my dad experienced, God has our back, and there is no need to fear the future!
Like the faithful servant of Christ’s parable, they invested whatevergifts God gave them to bring Him glory. Too many people “retire.” My dad retired as the president of an industrial plant in Singapore when he was 55, and I (sort of) retired two years ago, at 60 (only to find myself drawn back to a ministry I really love at World Vision!); but those who finish well, I believe, never really retire. They keep on keepin’ on, with whatever strength they have that remains, using whatever gifts, talents, skills, and resources God has given them, investing these in the Kingdom of God and the lives of the people around them.
Losing loved ones to heaven is not really sad. The sad fact is that many among us, unfortunately, do not finish well. As a song I really appreciate says, “gravity is pulling me on down.” We get self-centered (instead of God- and others-centered), we get tired, we stop loving God and people well and serving with whatever means God has blessed us with. We may allow ourselves to grow fearful and complacent.
I’m constantly aware of the tendencies in my own life for gravity to pull me on down. Thankfully, every new day brings new opportunities for me to repent and recommit myself to the task of finishing well! And I’m also thankful for brothers and sisters in Christ who surround me and are willing to “hold my arms up” as I seek God’s strength to end my earthly story in a way that brings Him glory.
As I think about the title of this Last Word, it strikes me as something so easy, yet so difficult. How could I possibly trust the Lord with everything? I’ve failed so many times before, and I wrestle future thoughts of potential failure. What if I fail again? What if I do not know what direction to take? What if I let down my greatest friends? What will my family think of me? What if I disappoint? What if I fail?
On February 11, my grandpa died. In fact, my grandpa died the same day as Helen Eash. Both loved, both missed, and both worshipping and praising Jesus now. The title of this Last Word is the title of Proverbs 3. I read it in the waking hours of the morning, thinking of my grandpa. My grandpa would handwrite me letters or small notes and would always end with mentioning Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” The Greek definition of “acknowledge” in verse 6 means “to know thoroughly,” or simply “to recognize a thing to be what it really is.” What a concept this defines. In everything we do, whether we eat or drink or whatever, we recognize Jesus in who He really is as the foundation of that decision we make. If we do this, our paths will be straight. How do we accomplish this? We accomplish this and have success because of one main reason. We have a great High Priest that has done the work for us. My grandpa’s favorite verse that allowed him to live the life Christ wanted him to is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17. It says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” We can trust because we have an advocate, Christ Jesus, who bled so that we can walk with God and have an intimate relationship with Him.
Toward the end of my grandpa’s life there was a small, yellow card he always pulled out and read every day. He would put it back in the same place every day and repeat the process. Part of what he read on the card was, “You are deeply loved.” My grandpa was an extremely active and physical guy. Most folks would rely on this as part of an identity thing, and I’m sure he struggled with this as he began to lose all strength. When he could no longer move, he had a Savior to bridge the gap. At the most difficult time in his life he was deeply loved, and no one would take that from him.
When I read about Paul talking about passing the baton, it seems like an out-of-body experience that is a daily fight. When we think that hope is lost, we have brothers and sisters in Christ encouraging us along the way. I hope you have an experience like I’ve had in this journey we call life, to either be the encourager my grandpa was or be on the receiving end of it like I was. My grandpa means so much to me and I miss him every day. He learned to pass the baton and speak life into people. What a husband, what a father, what a grandpa, what a great-grandpa, what a friend, what a brother, and what a man he was. Thank you for your witness, Grandpa! You are greatly loved!
a yearly men’s retreat at Evergreen Bible Presbyterian Church
a website with the exact coordinates of Noah’s ark
driving down the freeway with the blinker on
teaching children the Greek alphabet
pointing and shooting a gun at a kitchen table to see if it’s loaded
lip-syncing worship songs because people lost their place in the song
helping me put my flipped jeep right-side up
the love of God
What do you get? My dear friend Edward Crawford.
Psalm 99:6-7 says: “Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.”
This week, as I was processing through Psalm 99, I realized that these men — Moses, Aaron, and Samuel — all lived a legacy. A legacy that David remembered. A legacy that David found worthy to write about. These men lived lives faithful to God. Their faithfulness reached beyond just their own generation. Each of their lives was such a powerful testimony, a legacy reaching down generation to generation, touching a whole nation. Their testimonies taught others that obedience, faithfulness, and a relationship with God is not only vital, but is who we are.
Edward Crawford died a few years ago; the cause of his death was unknown. It is a mystery how a man in good health and full of energy, a man who had just climbed Mt. Ararat, could pass away suddenly and without warning. I truly believe my dear friend had great love for his Savior and had made it his mission on earth to proclaim that love. He made it his purpose to shout God’s glory and ensure all around him knew God’s faithfulness. Although my friend didn’t finish what he had started on earth, God decided it was time to take him home, ending his life on his earth. But one thing Edward did leave was his legacy.
We’re not given the exact time Christ is coming back, or when our lives here will end. I continue to go back and look at the life of my friend because I desire what he had. I desire the way he would communicate with Jesus. I desire the way he knew God’s Word. In thinking about his legacy, I wonder what kind of legacy I am living today. How will I finish the race? How am I impacting my neighbors, coworkers, community, and friends in an intentional, purpose-driven, and Christ-centered way? My hope is that I leave a living legacy even after I have left this earth.
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