Have You Thought About Your Obituary Lately?
What will people say when I’m gone? Another good question, “Are you planning with the end in mind?” Now don’t misunderstand me, I have no plans to take the elevator up to the top any time soon, mind you, but I’m steadily marching towards the eighth decade mark at such a dizzying speed that I know my life on this earth will be up before I know it. God’s Word says this in James 4: 14, “…What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
I know it can be a downer to think about coming to the end of this life’s road, but as ol’ Ben Franklin said, “…in the world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” The Poet Linda Ellis’ wellknown poem, THE DASH, comes to mind when I think about how I want my obituary to read. The poem is about how you lived your life, represented by the dash between your birth and death dates. The final stanza says: “So, when your eulogy is being read with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash? (You can read the whole poem at www.lindalyrics.
com.) Let’s pretend that I’m your English teacher in high school and all of you reading this article are my students. Here is my assignment for you to turn in next week: write out your obituary in one page or less. Get your pen and paper, or your electronic device, and see what you come up with. If the idea makes you uncomfortable, or even fearful, remember that the most effective plans start with the end in mind. After all, you have to know the impact you want to make in order to devise the best plan to get there, right?
As for me, I’d like my obituary to say John Thomas Catrett, III was a genuine lover of Jesus Christ, family, friends, and humanity. As he interacted with whomever he came in contact, he was never ashamed of Christ Jesus. The words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart were pleasing in God's sight. He builds up others rather than tearing them down. His gifts of speaking, writing and sense of humor were used to glorify God (and irritate his wife (just teasing), and his passion for helping people manifested in many unique ways (Good News Puppeteers, stuffed animals, and jonquil ministry). He was a very hard worker and wise enough to rest and refill so he was serving from an overflow, not scraping the bottom of the barrel. He had the gift of hospitality and provided a roof over many a head for short and longer seasons. He thoroughly enjoyed jogging and spent that time memorizing scriptures, singing, and praying. (Since he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but definitely made a joyful noise unto the Lord, it was thoughtful of him to sing while jogging 'on a hill far away' and go there to do it!) He enjoyed sharing what he was continually learning about holistically to take care of his body, which was the temple of the Holy Spirit. He loved to study the Bible and was an avid reader, thus, could carry on interesting conversations on many subjects. He had strong political views, and for the most part, he knew how and when to share them. (However, there was an occasional, unavoidable landmine...) He spent his time loving God with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength, and his neighbor as himself.
Hmmm. Boy, it feels to me that I have such a long way to go if those things are truly to be said about me when I’m gone. Sigh. So I must be willing to grow and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ on a daily basis, even though I have a tendency to give up when life gets difficult. (Warning: rabbit trail sighting.) This reminds me of a cartoon I once saw. It showed a huge water bird that had swallowed a frog, and the frog’s webbed “hands” reached out of its captor’s beak to firmly encircle the bird’s neck, making it impossible to swallow. The caption said, “Never, ever, give up!”
Since it is in my heart to fulfill my God-designed purpose and finish strong, I take comfort in the fact that 'He who began a good work in (me) will carry on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1: 6) and 'Looking unto Jesus, the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith....' (Hebrews 12:2) He puts His desires in my heart and mentors me to fulfill those desires. It makes my heart chuckle to think that one day if someone asks me, “Why are you smiling?” with a confident twinkle in my eye, I can say “my obituary.” And I can say it with a hope–filled grin on my face BECAUSE OF HIM! And YOU can,TOO! Join