We went to a funeral this weekend. Mr. Barnes was someone I didn't know very well, but I learned a lot about him and a life well spent. This man was a WWII vet. He was in the second wave at Normandy on D-Day. He was a free mason for over 50 years and raised a daughter, that wasn't his, like his own. He was the only man in his grandson's life and had a huge impact on his great-grandson. He lived out in the middle of nowhere, went to a small church and had a small family. He didn't have a huge circle of influence, but his life made a difference...to the world, to our country, and to those that knew him the best.
It started me thinking...what is a life well spent? A lot of times I have delusions of grandeur. I picture myself teaching woman about having a passion for God. I see my husband leading thousands of people into God's presence. On a smaller scale I have the desire to be the cool parent that all my kids' friends love, or to have a reputation that says I hear from God and can pray down heaven. But is all that really necessary to live a well spent life? These things are great and I will welcome them if they come, but what is necessary?
I learned again this week that it isn't the big things we do during our lives but the way we live our lives that make the difference. Was Mr. Barnes biggest influence on the beach among the thousands at Normandy, or was it the days he spent going fishing or throwing the baseball with his family? I bet I know what his great-grandson would say.
It is the small impacts we have on a daily basis that carry the most weight. Those who lead thousands do make a huge impact, but so does the mother that raised them. We seem to see life as a series of events (getting married, having kids, getting a job, getting that promotion) instead of the sum of our daily efforts. But everything we do carries weight and has an impact, and as a stay at home mom I am so grateful that it does. Some days seem mundane, like nothing I do matters. But when I think of a life well spent, investing in my children and those around me seems like a much nobler pursuit than achieving any kind of fame or status.
Aspirations are not bad, and it is great to have goals and to work toward something, but lets not forget that every day matters. And that a life lived in obedience to God is a life well spent, no matter how small it seems.
In Honor and Memory of Jasper L. Barnes 1916-2009
It started me thinking...what is a life well spent? A lot of times I have delusions of grandeur. I picture myself teaching woman about having a passion for God. I see my husband leading thousands of people into God's presence. On a smaller scale I have the desire to be the cool parent that all my kids' friends love, or to have a reputation that says I hear from God and can pray down heaven. But is all that really necessary to live a well spent life? These things are great and I will welcome them if they come, but what is necessary?
I learned again this week that it isn't the big things we do during our lives but the way we live our lives that make the difference. Was Mr. Barnes biggest influence on the beach among the thousands at Normandy, or was it the days he spent going fishing or throwing the baseball with his family? I bet I know what his great-grandson would say.
It is the small impacts we have on a daily basis that carry the most weight. Those who lead thousands do make a huge impact, but so does the mother that raised them. We seem to see life as a series of events (getting married, having kids, getting a job, getting that promotion) instead of the sum of our daily efforts. But everything we do carries weight and has an impact, and as a stay at home mom I am so grateful that it does. Some days seem mundane, like nothing I do matters. But when I think of a life well spent, investing in my children and those around me seems like a much nobler pursuit than achieving any kind of fame or status.
Aspirations are not bad, and it is great to have goals and to work toward something, but lets not forget that every day matters. And that a life lived in obedience to God is a life well spent, no matter how small it seems.
In Honor and Memory of Jasper L. Barnes 1916-2009
February 25, 2009 at 11:16 AM
CRBT. I know this, yet every time I am reminded, I realize I needed to be reminded! :)
February 25, 2009 at 5:49 PM
Very insightful. Your posts have a big impact on personal reflection. Thanks for sharing them! I can't wait to read more.