He Served and He Died

Living in the GAP

I was at the cemetery one morning officiating the service of a man who used to attend our church.

He was a quiet, decent, hard working, and interesting man with a deep commitment to Christ. He also found himself satisfied with very simple pleasures, few possessions, and a small circle of close friends.

I would not have considered him wealthy. He has a job that could not have paid a great deal of money. He walked almost everywhere. Yet, I am told, he left a small fortune behind.

He was just frugal and conscientious about savings and investments.

As I often do, I chose to talk about the space, dash, or gap on our tombstones between the date of our birth and death.

We cannot control the dates, but we can control what happens in the gap to the extent that we are in charge of all of our choices. It caused me to reflect on how I wish to spend my time in that gap.

G - Growing in grace, gratitude, and giving.

A - Acting so as to accept what is, acknowledge what is not, and attempt what can be.

P - Pursuing a purpose that provides peace and promotes the positive, and produces fruit for God's kingdom.

That is how we live in the gap between the day we are born and the day we die.

That is how our legacy lives on.