A Great Cloud of Witnesses

If you have been keeping up with my blogs, you have gotten a glimpse of what it looks like when I get weary. I won’t go so far as to say that I’ve gotten weary in well-doing because I can’t confidently say that God considers what I’m doing well-doing. I do know that there are good habits that I’ve let slip because I’ve gotten tired. In the past few weeks I’ve thought about a topic that some may see as morbid, but maybe some of you have thought about the same. What will people say about me at the end of my life? It started when I attended a wake at my church for a mighty woman of God, and I listened to droves of people describe her prayer life and in particular her prayers for them. And I wondered, will people be able to say that I prayed for them? Then recently I attended a homegoing service for my friend’s father, and the entire service was a celebration of not only his life but of his dedication to God and his family. I truly was blessed. The irony is I didn’t know either person personally, but their legacies are powerful. I often focus on the here and now, and there is nothing wrong with that. But spiritual leaders in my life often instruct on focusing on destiny and legacy. I’m learning that focusing on what we will leave behind for the next generation really does change how I operate. I had a come to Jesus meeting with myself yesterday on me being selfish, and I prayed and asked God how to change that. I believe that taking my eyes off of myself and onto the next generation will help me decrease so that God can increase. I’ve looked at Hebrews 12:1 about the great cloud of witnesses as people I aspired to be, but now I see them as cheering me on. Their journey was not easy, nor is mine, yet here they are written in the annals of biblical history. I thank God for the two giants that I got to meet, even though it was through death, but again, what a powerful legacy of faithfulness and service to leave for me to follow.