What's Your Story?

When I was young, I rarely gave any thought to getting old. Like many youths my age, I thought I was invincible.  

A recent visit to a cemetery was a sobering reminder that my timeline on this earth (nearly seven decades) is now shorter rather than longer.
 
Meandering through the burial grounds and visiting the sites of those who had preceded us, I thought of my ancestors' lives and also wondered about the stories that could be told of the hundreds of others buried there.  

The oldest cemetery headstones and markers were from a time in history when smallpox and other diseases often resulted in early mortality. It was sad to see the headstones of children and infants, lives lost much too soon. Many graves were of veterans who lost their lives fighting for our country. Some were lucky to have lived many years.

I thought of my own mortality. What will my story be? What will it sound like when I am gone? Will what I have done in my life make a difference?

I hope I will have been an encouragement to others through my faith in God and that I might lead others to hope and joy, despite life's trials and tribulations.

In the big scheme of things, we’re only here for a little while. So, I hope to accomplish what I had set out to do, to make the best use of every twenty-four hours I have, and for my family and friends to know I love them unconditionally. I hope my story will be a good one.

So, what’s your story? What will it sound like? What would you like to accomplish in the time that you have? 

My prayer is that you find goodness in each day, and that your story will be extraordinary and beautiful!

"The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever." - Isaiah 40:8  
"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." - James 4:14

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