Continuing my Storyworth project, here’s how I answered the question above:
Not surprisingly, as the guy who loves to make playlists on Spotify, two early songs from Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) influenced me and captured much of how I want to be remembered.
The first is by Don Francisco from the chorus of his “Steeple Song.”
Do you love your wife?
For her and for and for your children
Are you laying down your life?
What about the others?
Are you living as a servant
To your sisters and your brothers?
Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone?
Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?
The second is by Michael W. Smith about a “preacher man” known as “Kentucky Rose.” In describing him, it says:
When it came to love
He would go out of his way
A helping hand
A soothing chat
he practiced what he preached imagine that
And as far as kindness goes
There was none compared to old Kentucky Rose
There are also two primary passages in the Bible that have influenced my answer. The first is Micah 6:8:
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? (NKJV)
The second, Ecclesiastes 9:7-10, is my current life passage, and I’m intentionally doing two things this year to become more like the positive, optimistic person verse eight describes:1
7 Go, eat your bread with enjoyment and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has long ago approved what you do. 8 Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. 9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain [fleeting] life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol [the grave], to which you are going.
Finally, as a short list, my answer to the “how do you want to be remembered” question is as someone who:
- loved his wife, children, and grandchildren well
- loved and cared for his parents to the best of his ability
- was a faithful and encouraging friend
- was a friend of God
- carried his faith with integrity
- was a good listener
- cared about civility (showing gentleness and respect) more than being right
- saw himself and others as stunningly beautiful, profoundly broken, and in need of Christ
- was the opposite of a rigid fundamentalist and handled the Bible honestly and responsibly
- cared deeply about beauty, literacy, and learning; that he loved music, flowers, and books
- voted based on character and how someone treated others, more than how much he agreed with their convictions or policies
- made the most of the opportunities that were before him
- to the best of his ability—in whatever he did, brought his “A“ game
How would you answer the question above? Send me some feedback. I would love to hear from you!
- I’m getting coaching from two individuals via two books that I already highly recommend: Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility by Bob Goff and From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks. ↩︎