What Will Your Mark Be

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Dear Family,

It is always easy to deliver good news of some difficult feat accomplished, the birth of a child or wedding announced but somehow it is difficult to announce the passing of a friend, loved one or acquaintance. We should be able with great joy, to celebrate the life and going home of one we must bid farewell to for awhile. But, it is never that easy for us. A part of us is being taken away from us and we cannot sooth our pain. It hurts in our heart, mind and soul where we cannot touch the hurt with our hand. We just cannot seem to kiss it and make it all well. The pain can only be touched with our groans and I think just perhaps that is as it should be because our spirit is being touched. Death has awakened our soul.

When people are fortunate enough to be born into a large family they have the opportunity to see life in a whole different way than those who were part of a small family. It seems as though everything is multiplied in the larger families. There are more opportunities for celebrations, more birthdays, graduations and weddings. The younger ones have the advantage of sharing in the experiences of the older ones and thus seem to be socially and emotionally ahead of their peers. And, I suppose this is God's way of helping the younger ones get prepared to deal with the pain and anguish they will experience in saying goodbye to all the older brothers and sisters.

The shortest yet most profound statement in the life of Christ may well have been, "Jesus wept." He wept because he knew the pain those close to Lazarus were feeling but more than anything, I think he knew He was bringing Lazarus back from a more desirable place. He had to call him back from the spirit to the mortal knowing that some day all this pain would take place again.

There is a story found in the very first book of the Bible. It is in the early chapters of this book that we find the story. It is the story of one man who impacted this world in a great and unusual way.

Gen 5:21-32

21). Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah.

22). After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.

23). So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

24). And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Enoch was without a doubt one of the most interesting figures in history. The most details of the story of Enoch are in his book but the most profound thoughts of his life are in his death or lack thereof. "He walked with God and was not."

I think God gave us the story of Lazarus and Enoch to show us that passing from this world to the next is simply going back to His presence where we began. We do not remember it because we were His thought and separated from Him by mortality which we inherited from Adam when he was removed from the presence of God. But notice that Enoch walked with God just as Lazarus walked with Christ. Enoch had fellowship with God just as Lazarus had fellowship with Christ and it is this fellowship that made the difference in both their lives and in their departures from this life. It is that fellowship which makes the difference in our lives as we come to our departure.

25). Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech.

26). After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters.

27). So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.

28). Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son.

29). And he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed."

We remember the son of Enoch more than Enoch himself. It was Methuselah who we still refer to because he lived more years on this earth than any other person of record. We know that everyone was not in God's favor or in fellowship with him because of what Methuselah's son Lamech said, "because of the ground which the LORD has cursed."

Mankind was not in touch with God nor were they acknowledging Him and life without the influence of God had become a curse. Lamech had a son who did acknowledge God and became God's instrument for the preservation of all creation.

30). After he begot Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters.

31). So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.

32). And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (NKJ)

It is not for everyone to accomplish greatness but it is the intent of God's heart that each of us leaves our mark on the world. We all leave a mark. Some leave great marks for God and others leave marks as Judas did.

Noah believed God and trusted in Him without wavering. How would you respond if God came to you and said, I am going to bring forty days and nights of rain? I want you to build a boat for the salvation of all creation! Keep in mind it had never rained on the earth before this time. Further, there had never been a boat or a reason for a boat before this time. Everyone thought Noah was off his rocker, but God knew the purpose and plan He had for Noah. Noah simply trusted what God told him. Because Noah obeyed God the world was changed forever.

Love Ya,

Dad

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