This past weekend, I went from a faith-at-work forum where business leaders discussed how they live their faith at work and can leave a legacy (at times it felt like I was at church, which was an amazing thing), to a funeral where I had the opportunity to hear about the legacy a very special man left because he lived his faith openly in every area of his life.
The man who passed was the husband of a relatively new close friend. She and I have visited many times over the past year, and she often told be about experiences she’s had with her husband, John, in sharing Jesus with everyone and anyone they could – even when he was seriously ill in the hospital!
The service was truly a celebration of John’s life and the impact he had on his family, friends, fellow church members and people he met for the first time. I think his son said it well when he said his dad left this life with no regrets because he loved others well. While none of us is perfect, John always made it a priority to honor the great commandment – Love God with all your heart, mind and strength and love others as yourself.
How did he do that? He went out of his way to get to know the people behind the counter at places like Hardees. He and his wife would visit some of these places frequently, not because they loved the food, but because their goal was to share God’s love with those people. He’d learn about their lives, their goals, their struggles and minister to them. Sometimes it meant his family had to wait for him for an extra 20 or 30 minutes, but John’s mission field seemed to be everywhere he went. Even when he was lying in a hospital bed after experiencing a heart attack, John encouraged with the nurses and those visiting him with God’s Word.
None of us know how much time we have on earth. And I don’t want to take a single day for granted. I want to live my life in a way that makes a difference for others so that, in some way, small or large, the people I come in contact with experience God’s love for them.
Hearing about John’s life inspires me to be that much more intentional about loving others well, because the love we share goes on to have an impact long after we’ve moved on.
