For Jack’s video of this prayer, please click here.
Last week’s prayer was a Prayer for More Tee Pee Motel Memories.
I hope that last week’s prayer helped you find joy today in reliving your cherished beautiful memories in the past.
Yesterday, I learned that my friend, Craig Plumhoff, of Houston, died from the Coronavirus. The stark reality of the loss of Craig to his bride, Mary Leslie, their children, son, Jonathan and daughter, Mary Kristen, other family members, and friends reminds me that, you and I will one day be just a memory too for those we leave behind.
Don’t we all desire to leave a good memory of ourselves after we die. For if we live Holy lives, the memory of us to others should be a blessing. That is because we have left a good legacy of Godly love.
Craig’s beautiful obituary in the Houston Chronicle today contained the words we all wish to be said about us when we die. “… Craig fully embraced his 71 years on earth and leaves behind a legacy of loving his neighbor as himself and loving his God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. Those words truly reflected the child of God Craig was and not just candy-coated text to mask a life lesser lived and less loving to others.
We know that the gift of life from God includes the certainty of our death. Yet, the good news is that God promises that death gives way to the certainty of our eternal life.
What is the good legacy to be left behind? Maya Angelou said it this way, At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did. They will remember how you made them feel. All who knew Craig remember how he made them feel by his smile, laughter, encouragement and love from home, the office, at church, in his weekly Bible study group and to cheering on his kids when they played sports at St. Francis Episcopal Day School and beyond.
One day I saw Craig at lunch at Escalante’s before the Pandemic. He said he had gathered up all of his kids’ VHS home movies and taken them to a company to transfer the images to DVD’s. Those DVD’s were given to his children. But, his kids will never have to replay those images to see the good legacy he left behind for them.
I was unable to find the word, “legacy,” in the Bible. But, Scripture does help us understand what is important to be left behind for others to inherit when we become just a memory to them.
Psalm 145.4
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
Philippians 4.9:
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
2 Timothy 2.2:
And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
God, in prayer let us recognize that one day we each will be just a memory to others.
God, in the life you have given us, please help us to focus on acts, words, and deeds which will endure and which will have lasting value for those we leave behind.
God, thank you for Craig Plumhoff and all your children in the world who have lived their lives in Your Name and left us with the everlasting legacy of love. Amen
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If you want to purchase for yourself or a friend a copy of Bending Angels: Living Messengers of God’s Love or Prayerful Passages: Asking God’s Help in Reconciliation, Separation or Divorce, please click on here to go to Amazon.
Jack H. Emmott is a Senior Counsel of Gray, Reed & McGraw, LLP, a 145-lawyer full-service firm in Houston, Dallas, and Waco, Texas, a Board-Certified Family Law and Master Credentialed Collaborative Law Professional Divorce Attorney, Mediator, Author, Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. For more information about Jack or his latest book, Bending Angels: Living Messengers of God’s Love, go to the Bending Angel website.