Remember me
I have a friend named Peggy. She is goofy, sweet, loves children, is a devoted follower of Christ—and she’s dying. The doctors diagnosed Peggy with ALS, a disease that decreases the body’s motor function at a progressive rate.
In the past few months, I’ve tried to visit Peggy more often now that she is mostly homebound. Because she has spent much of her life loving and serving others, she has many friends. It’s a beautiful testament to her character as numerous folks consistently spend time with her and do what they can to help in this season of her life.
Loving others
For a few years Peggy served as a youth small-group leader for some young ladies in our church. But as her disease progressed, she had to step away from that leadership role. It’s been a few years now, but Peggy has stayed in touch as best she could with that group. Recently as I visited with her, we began talking about these special young ladies. As tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks, she asked, “Will they remember me?” The question caught me off guard, but because of what she is facing, I quickly understood all that was meant by that question. It was a holy moment, in stark contrast to much of the daily mundane. As we held hands, I told her I would not let them forget.
Saying goodbye
At some point in our lives, all of us will lose a close friend or loved one to death. And, at some point, we also will say goodbye to this world. It is a natural desire to want to be remembered. Jesus did too — for very important reasons. Jesus wants us to always remember God’s compassionate, healing, and sacrificial love; God’s saving and transforming grace; and God’s never-ending nearness. The way we live our lives, remembering God’s love for us, will honor God and make a difference so that future generations also will remember what’s most important. Our faith in God provides hope for a better day.
Question of the day: How do you remember God’s love?
Focal scriptures: Genesis 40:4-23; Matthew 26:6-13; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.