During my high school days I was introduced to a cool church service called Kairos in Nashville, TN. Kairos is the type of place where people arrive early and leave late because they actually enjoy being there. Who’d of thought someone could enjoy church?!

 

One week the pastor, Mike Glenn, began his sermon with a look on his face of sorrow, joy and compassion blended together. He explained that he gave the eulogy at a man’s funeral the weekend before. With a penetrating look he gazed at the congregation and told us that for men like this, the eulogy was easy to write. Prior to the funeral, Mike was given the man’s Bible and other notes about him so he could prepare eulogy. This wasn’t a Bible that sat on the top of a bookshelf. This was a Bible that had the life sucked out of it and placed in heart of this man. Pages were crinkled, torn, highlighted, and falling out from the binding. Annotations were up to the brim on every page with thoughts and questions that may have never been answered.

After describing the life of this man, Mike spoke words that have carried weight in my life until this day,: “You write your own funeral.” You see, this was man who smiled and said, “I’m ready,” when death came knocking at his door. He was a man who understood that the root of life was not found in his accomplishments, but in the heart of a torn up book with words “sharper than any two edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). Those words defined him, giving him a direction in which to walk.

 

I’ve never met this guy, but I like him. 1 Corinthians 11:1 tells us to imitate followers of Jesus. I’m not saying I’m going to change my name or anything, but I’m definitely going to follow in the footsteps of this man. As I go about this week I will reflect on  the influences that shape my day-to-day life and the words that  people will say of me once I’m gone– I challenge you to do the  same! An uncomfortable thought it may be, but an important one nonetheless. My hope is that, like this man, we will give people a story to tell.

 

 

Taylor