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Recently, a favourite Auntie of mine passed away. She had always been a lot of fun and very caring. Her family lived with us at times and settled up the street from us and she was like a second mum.
She was blessed with loving parents, nine siblings, two marriages, three children, five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Not to mention nieces and nephews.
My cousin delivered a beautiful eulogy. During the funeral each generation had an opportunity to speak. Her daughters had written a poem and chose an Auntie to read it out. Their children also spoke about their Nanny, and one read a poem she had created. Finally, the great grandchildren recited poetry they had both individually written. Some poems were funny, some were so very touching, and all captured the different facets of her nature.
The youngest grandchild who shared said he still said his prayers nightly as she had taught him and read it out:
Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray my Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake. I pray my Lord my soul to take.
George Wheler
It was a touching funeral. So intimate. So personal. They shared her love of music and reading. They mentioned her sense of humour and most of all they spoke of her immense love for her family.
This has made me keenly aware of the impact I can have on the world around me.
What are the messages we are sending to others? Are we fun to be around and joyful? Or are we too serious and grumpy? Are we approachable, or standoffish? Are we present when people are with us or speak to us? Or are we distracted? Do the members of our family, our friends and our colleagues feel valued or an inconvenience?
Family is the mission field that many feel the most uncomfortable in. We may fear rejection or ridicule. However, we need to consider how we are going about it. Our actions will speak louder than words. The people who love us will notice the difference in us without us even speaking a word. Our selfless kind and caring behaviours and servant heart, will demonstrate God’s kingdom realm in a way that words never could.
We may have the fear of man and shrink from sharing the truth with friends and colleagues. I’m not suggesting you give a sermon or great oration worthy of Billy Graham.
It’s simpler than we think. We can display the fruits of the spirit in our actions and words.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galations 5:22-23 (ESV)
We can honestly answer when asked what we did on the weekend, sharing that we went to church. If asked how we cope with the pressures of life, we can say our loving God is with us always and helps us through everything. If the opportunity arises, we can pray for them and/or invite them to come to church with us.
We must take the time to consider the legacy we are leaving our family, our community and the world. When we graduate to heaven, what will our family and friends be saying at our funeral about us?
I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog. If you’d like to leave a comment or subscribe, please click on the link below. I’d love to hear how your journey with God is going. If you’d like to message me directly, you can email me at admin@jesus4generations.com. God bless you and your family.
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