Memorial Day

This is a day when we remember those who have died in war. We recall fallen soldiers.

I haven't actually any soldier to commemorate, but this day does remind me of those in my family who have gone on leaving a legacy behind. A memorial is something designed to keep remembrance alive. And so, on this Memorial Day I remember my Mamaw and Papaw Lindsey.

I am sure my mamaw invented the original Gaither Homecoming years before those videos ever started coming out. At night when she would retire to her bed to read her Bible, she would put a stack of records on her record player and let the Southern Gospel twang away. She was faithful to her church and its people even when arthritis threatened to keep her down.

My papaw or Ol' Pap as we often called him, was the epitome of a strong patriarch. He worked hard in a much too large garden which enabled him to give food to many people not only in our family but also in the church family. When my brother and I were young children, Pap would stand in a doorway with his arm stretched across the opening and allow my little brother to swing. He would look down and say: "Tell me when you get off."

They were faithful in prayer and church. And, because they had their own battles to fight throughout life, I believe they were soldiers. Their battles were fought on their knees in prayer. They set an example through their faith in Jesus Christ.

"Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running - and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in." Hebrews 12:1-2 The Message

With a Christian legacy left for me, I need to carry it on. I can look to those who have gone on before me and follow their example. Ultimately, I keep my eyes on Jesus and do as He did - just like Mamaw and Pap. I pray to live a life worth having others remember when I'm long gone - not for my glory but for His.