Have you even thought about what will be said about you at your funeral?

I heard a humorous remark about what some hope people will say when they are walking by their casket.  Someone said they hope they will say, "I think he's moving".

I also recall the poem The Dash written by Linda Ellis that illustrates the point.

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own; the cars... the house...the cash.

What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard ... are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left. (You could be at "dash mid-range")
If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real,

And always try to understand the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more,
And love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile...

Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy's being read with your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say about how you spend your dash??

Close your eyes, for a moment, and imagine that day when all your friends and family gather to bid you farewell.  What will they be thinking?  Visualize the scene.

You are floating above, hopefully with your little wings flapping away, just observing. There you are in that box in the front.  And to your relief, everybody has showed up. And they all look appropriately grieved, sad that you are gone.

The preacher stands, does those preacherly things: praying, obituary reading, somebody sings "Amazing Grace" and then it's time for the eulogy. The preacher says he really didn't know you so he would like for the congregation to help remember you together.  He invites people to simply say, out loud, one word that described you. There is a long uncomfortable silence as people exchange questioning glances. What will they say?

Finally a voice is raised. "Impatient!" (Was that one of your kids?)  A look of surprise on many faces, but knowing grins seem to spread throughout the room.  Another tense silence. "Short tempered!"  "Irritable!" "Angry!"  (I think that was your spouse.)  "Unhappy."  "Troubled."  An understanding soul.  (Was that your mother?)  "Jealous." "Envious."  Here we go again. 

"Selfish"  "Stingy."  "Unkind."  "Unreliable."  "Unfaithful."  "Out of control." "Stern." "Judgmental."  "Mean."  "Stubborn."  "Ornery."  The preacher finally says, "Can't anyone say anything nice about the deceased?"  After some puzzled looks, and a long silence, someone said: "Never killed anybody . . . . . that we know of!"

When we have run our course and finished our days in this world, what will they say?  How will we be remembered?

I am fairly certain that no one reading this article is so bad that no one would have anything good to say.  But it is probably fair to say that each of us has some level of concern that a negative word or two might be on the minds of those with whom we have lived.  We probably deserve a failing grade in some dimension of our lives.  After all, we are human; none of us is perfect. But it does cause one to pause and think. What will they say?

Perhaps the more important question is "What would you hope that they would say?"  What kind of life do you want to live, so that those things will be said of you when it is time for eulogies and goodbyes?

Let's rewind our little fantasy to the beginning. Remember where we started?
The preacher stands, does those preacherly things: praying, obituary reading, somebody sings "Amazing Grace" and then it's time for the eulogy. The preacher says he really didn't know you so he would like for the congregation to help remember you together. He invites people to simply say out loud one word which describes you. There is a long uncomfortable silence as people exchange questioning glances. What will they say?

"Loving!"  "Caring."  "Happy."  "At peace."  "Patient."  "Persistent."  "Kind."  "Compassionate."  "Good."  "Generous."  "Respectful."  "Faithful."  "A keeper of promises."  "Loyal."  "Gentle."  "Self-disciplined."

Now, that's more like it. Listen to the Apostle Paul speak in Galatians Chapter 5:16-25 from a Bible version called The Message.

"My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness.  For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day.  Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?  It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;  trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits;  the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.  But what happens when we live God’s way? God brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.  Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives."

Not only is it important that each of us leave this world with a wonderful testimony, it is important that our generation leaves a legacy for others to follow.

We frequently say of the ancient Israelites that they often turned from God. We see their whining and complaining and how they traded God's best for a desert.

It is said of Rome and Greece that they shaped western civilization as we know it. Our lives, as Americans, would have been drastically different had it not been for their influence.

We remember the early church for being fearless and obedient. They seemed to have genuine fellowship, a keen understanding of faith, and a personal walk with Christ.

The Founding Fathers of our country were great men, unequaled in their time or ours. They framed the greatest constitution the world has ever seen and we give them credit for the blessings we now enjoy.

We respect the Greatest Generation because they were the epitome of the "can-do" American spirit.  They are the reason we speak English and not German or Japanese.

Question: What will future generations say of us?

Let It Be Said Of Us…

1. That we were Waiting

II Corinthians 5:1-5 says, "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge."

Look at some of the phrases: "longing to be clothed" and "Spirit as a pledge."  What we mean is that we are to live like we know Jesus is returning.

2.  We need to live like we are Trusting

II Corinthians 5:6-8 says, "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."

Notice that we "walk by faith" and "not by sight."  Abraham is a good example of this when he left his home for what he couldn't see.

3.  We need to live like we are Pleasing

II Corinthians 5:9 says, "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him."

Enoch is a good example: "he walked with God and was no more."

4.  We need to live like we are Fearing

II Corinthians 5:10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences."

5.  We need to remember that we will appear before the judgment seat.
The word "manifest" means "obvious."  Paul knew he could be made obvious (his motives, etc.) in front of both God and man and the result would be good. He wasn't afraid of being exposed because he truly feared God.

6.  We need to live like we are Loving

II Corinthians 5:12-15 says, "We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."

7.  We need to consider whether the love of Christ or the love of flesh controls us?  The evidence of our love is identified in verse fifteen.

8.  We need to be Forgiving

II Corinthians 5:16-17 says, "Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

9.  We need to remember that we are Preaching God’s Word

II Corinthians 5:18-21 says, "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Let us be as faithful as those who have gone before us so that those who follow us will have a similar respect as they rehearse our contribution to God’s Kingdom.

Lord, help us to be faithful.