To be remembered or to be forgotten

We all want to be remembered for doing something great. Making our mark in school, on the athletic field, making a different in society and whatever our hobbies are. We can be a society that focuses on what makes us known. What if our goal in life wasn’t to be known but be forgotten? If we didn’t want to be remembered. If we wanted the focus to be on other people above our own?

I remember in high school doing a 10 year time capsule. I vaguely remember what we wanted to do with our lives. I wanted to get a sport scholarship to Michigan State or a couple of different schools. I wanted to be on my way to being a great sports writer and I think more of the American dream idea. I did not accomplish these goals, but is that a bad thing? Do I feel like a horrible person because I didn’t follow the career path I had from the 14 year old version of myself? No. Sometimes what we experience and what we enjoy change our goals overtime.

Paul shares about his own life in Philippians 3:7-9…

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Paul considered the things he used to go for pointless compared to Christ and his new goal. His gains he considered rubbish, the way this translates his gains are more like food scraps or like crap now.  Paul changed his life focus to being Christ focused. He didn’t want to be remembered, he wanted Jesus to be remembered through what he accomplished. Paul wanted the life focus to be not on him but on Christ. What if we lived the same way?

Put others before us. What if we tried to make to make the world a better place, not for us but for others? I am not perfect I have different struggles, but everything I am today is because of Christ and the differences he made in my life. If I am forgotten for the name of Christ, I am good with that.

How about you? Do you strive to be remembered or forgotten for a better name or cause?

Have a great day.

Life without the wife and kids

 

Some dreams can be so vivid. I was spending a holiday in Michigan staying over at my mother and father in laws house. Things were going great when we started to watch some old video reminiscing over what happened in the past. After a while of watching happened and life changed.

When I awoke, my life was completely different. I wasn’t married, I didn’t have kids yet I was the same age. I never went into ministry and was still a sports writer. I couldn’t grasp or know the life I was supposed to lead. I started living my life as a single sports writer. I still ended up in Terre Haute and lived in my old house. Man, I couldn’t get a better house as a single sports writer?

Life was good, I something was different but it was good. I started going out my front door and a voice came out of nowhere saying I wasn’t leading the life I was meant to have. It was like a punch hit me, I turned around to see what it was and no one was there. I kept moving and the voice came back, soon a person appeared like a ghost. The person then said this was not the life I was meant to have.

He showed me what life was supposed to be. How I was married with four kids living in a nice house and working in ministry. I was flabbergasted. This wasn’t a life I originally wanted. Yet this man said, your life will change right now and it will be greatly improved. Soon I was on a fast track to change and have the life this ghost told me I was supposed to have. I met Hailee for the first time, something sparked and soon I was awake by the alarm. This was one of the most vivid dreams I have ever had in my life. What if life ended up different for you? Would you be happy or sad?

I was living a good life in my dream until I felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. Being a single sports writer away from my friends and loved ones without a family felt good until I saw the people that were supposed to be in my life.  There was love I had in my vision that I didn’t have in my dream.

As I recall and write this, I was reading scripture this morning and this was the first two verses I read, Romans 12:9-10…

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Honor others above yourself. Love calls us to live life differently. Not to do things out of selfish desire and think about how we can help other people out. If there is something that is evil, stay away from that and think about how you can make live better by helping other people out.

In my dream I thought life was good until that ghost changed my thought.

When I awoke not in the life God put before me, an overwhelming sense of abandonment came over. I truly love my wife, kids and ministry. I feel unworthy to have a life I love so much. I thank God for that. God couldn’t have given me a better spouse than Hailee and four wonderful kids.

It made me think of the life I wouldn’t have had without God. God taught me so much and without going to Campus Life all that time ago, I never would have met Hailee. Things happen in our life that is better than our own understanding. I thank God for this life and hope to continue to show other people love the same way Christ showed me. If you are not living the life you envision, try this. Helping and showing other people love you wouldn’t normally show love. Maybe because they hurt you or you don’t think about helping strangers out. Life can change when we think outside our own life and towards others.

Have a great day.