Friday, July 14, 2006

What Will Your Life Say?

What Will Your Life Say?


I copied this from a devotional I receive daily from the Purpose Driven Life website. The address is at the bottom in case anyone is interested in subscribing for themself. It really hit me how a person can make a difference in other peoples' lives just by being an example of faith... We are all reaching out to other people in the daily roles we live as mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, friends, etc...

July 13, 2006
Listening to a life
by John Fischer

I received word recently of the passing of a 68-year-old woman who was both a mom and a grandmother. She had been traveling to the wedding reception of her oldest grandson when she was involved in a tragic automobile accident. Her injuries were serious, sending her into a coma from which she never recovered. She died 10 days later.

In the words of a family friend, she was just a normal housewife whose family was her career. For those 10 days, that family never left her side. They covered her in shifts, talking to her and simply being in her presence. And when they spoke at her funeral, they all spoke about a remarkable woman who had a profound influence on their lives by merely being there and being faithful to God. But something struck this friend after hearing their words of tribute. They had all agreed on how much they learned about their mother/grandmother during those 10 days at her side that they hadn't realized before, for in the silence of those days, they had time to listen to her whole life.

There's no substitute for the power of a steady life of faith. It may not hit you over the head, but over time, the reality of a loving life takes hold and you cannot shake it. We often hear about the more glamorous stories of radical change faith can produce, and these are indeed thrilling and inspiring stories, but the real examples are often unclaimed until someone is suddenly taken from us, or we are given time to listen to the silence of someone's life. And that silence can speak volumes.

The family friend who wrote me about this story called it Mission Accomplished. Pouring her life out to the people she loved was this woman's mission. Think of all the unsung heroes like her who will shine like stars in Heaven. It's not always the convincing argument or the riveting miracle that changes lives. It's more often the quiet power of a steady faith that leaves the final impression and can win over the hardest heart.

If someone listened to your life today, what would he or she hear? Anxiety, fear, confusion, hurry, or love and a faith that was bigger than all those things? What speaks loudest in your life? It's a sobering thought and I, for one, have to say I am not real pleased with the results of my own self-assessment in this regard. Good thing we've all got a little more time and the grace of God. Let's spend them both well today.

REMINDER: If for some reason you do not receive your devotional on any given day, you can go to our website, www.purposedrivenlife.com, to read the current days entry.

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