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"Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith." Hebrews 13:7
If you were asked to name your earliest childhood friend, how far back could you stroll down memory lane? Was this friend someone in your neighborhood? Maybe someone you met at school? Perhaps you played together on a sports team?
My daughter is very blessed that her favorite St. Matthew Preschool 3 buddy back in 1999 still remains one of her closest and best friends, even eighteen years later! Despite the fact that Jen was always the tallest girl in the class and Kristine was always the shortest, their personalities, sense of humor, and convictions have always been extremely compatible and complementary of one another.
After all these years of spending so much time together, both girls have also come to know each other's extended families quite well, but the one extended family member that Kristine always adored and admired was Jen's grandpa.
Mr. Eagle was such a sweet, kind, and Godly man with a wonderful gentle spirit. He loved his family and was very supportive of his grandchildren. During most home games, he often would sit in the St. Matthew bleachers and cheer for the various teams that his grandchildren joined. However, one of Mr. Eagle's most endearing features was his contagious smile.
A few years ago, Mr. Eagle became very ill, and last week, the Lord in His wisdom took Mr. Eagle home to be with Him in heaven.
As we went to pay our respects at the funeral home, Jen became very excited to share with us a "God thing" that had occurred the previous day. She explained that her grandmother had asked each grandchild to share a few personal reflections regarding their grandfather during the funeral service. As Jen was considering what to say, she remembered that she had written about him eight years ago during a 5th grade "My Hero" assignment for Miss Toman. She knew her mom had saved that poster, so she went through the basement storage closet determined to locate it. During her search, she lifted the lid of an unusual box, and her heart soared with joy as she saw the poster laying on top of the contents. What added even more emotion to this endeavor was discovering that she had written the completion date of September 14, 2009 on the back of the poster and realizing that the Lord took her grandfather to heaven on September 14, 2017.
In this piece of writing, Jen's closing line was "I want to be as thoughtful as he is." As I read this, I told her that I was pretty convinced that she had achieved this goal, to which she responded, "Thank you for saying this but I feel that I still have a ways to go. He set a pretty high bar."
As I heard this story, the thought came to me, "What are the memories and recollections that I want my grandchildren to share about me one day?"
If you were asked, what is the legacy that you want to leave behind? What are the most important things that you want to be known and remembered for?
Each of us have many eyes watching us and learning from us, and every day, we have so many wonderful opportunities to teach so many impressionable things, especially the joy of a Jesus-led life.
Have a great week creating precious memories!
In His love,
Mrs. Palka