Suddenly Gone

 

It is probably safe to say that most people see themselves as important and under the delusion that they will always exist and will make a positive impact on their world, their culture, and their social circles. Depending on your childhood, your parents, your extended family, and your education, and what you do with the details of your life, how you use your intelligence, your financial success and your social skills will hopefully make a positive impact on those you know.

Each person passes through various stages of life: childhood, teen years, college years, and adulthood. As someone transitions from a time of life when they seem to have limitless energy and motivation to accomplish great things, eventually they will come to understand that old age will eventually catch up with them and they will become weak and need the help of others.

Over the last many millennia, there are very few people who are remembered and known as having an impact on the world in general. If you spend your time, your energy, and money on making yourself comfortable and distracted, then you are failing in your efforts to be a good influence and leaving a mark in history.

One day you will repose and a funeral will be held for you and hopefully there are many people who will attend that funeral and say good things about you. Will they remember your home, your car, your clothing, or will they remember you as the good person who was generous and willing to support others?

Unfortunately, sometimes funerals are held and no one attends them. There is a practice in the Netherlands called “the lonely funeral”. In this instance, someone reposes, and no one attends the funeral, but a poet is hired to write a poem about the deceased and reads the poem even though there is no one there to hear the poetic offering of the person’s life.

Think carefully about your life, and put in the effort to be the good person who is concerned with the wellbeing of others. Hopefully when a funeral is held for you, there will be many in attendance and they will say good things about you. Don’t be the person that everyone sees as selfish, comfortable, and lazy, but instead be the one who is generous, is loving, and sees the image of God in others, making sacrifices upon yourself so others can be cared for.