how will you be remembered?

Tonight I went to a memorial celebration for a 5 month old baby. Little Isaac passed away a week ago, due to a heart condition. The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions. Why would God give him to us and then take him away? Why take HIM? His parents are so amazing, so why not take someone else's child? There are many people I personally know who don't even deserve to call themselves parents.  So why Isaac? As a Christian pretty much my entire life, you hear "God always has a reason. We might not know what the reason is, but He has a plan." I really did not know what that meant until tonight. Hearing the story of Isaac's final days along with seeing pictures and hearing from the people who were there with him as he went to be with Jesus really changed how I saw God and his plan. Pastor Rob shared that God spoke to him saying that we measure by years, but God measures by accomplishments. Isaac fulfilled all that God needed him to accomplish in his short life.

So what about me? What about you? What about everyone? I'm 23 years old. What am I doing to accomplish things for God? Will he keep me on this earth until I'm more of a liability than an asset for his kingdom? What does it say about me that the circumstances of a 5 month old accomplished so much more in the last week of his life than I have in my almost quarter of a century on this earth? Now, I'm not saying that the longer you're alive, the less you've done for the kingdom of God. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old, and he walked with God and earned a spot in history as the longest living person EVER.  I guess I'm just saying that it got me thinking. When I die, what will people remember me for?  Was I a good friend? listener? witness? Was I brave? strong? Or will they say, "Aw, poor thing...life handed her a sour hand, and she did well, but she never was the same" or "She really bounced back, all things considered"? No offense, but I don't want to hear "all things considered." REGARDLESS of my circumstances, I want people to see me and see the joy of the Lord, and just the happiness of having another day to live. I want to marvel every day about the miracles around me. I want to be a good friend to EVERYONE, regardless of how they are towards me.  Jesus loved his persecutors, and was never mean or talked bad about them.

So what about you? Are you just living to live? Come on and make a difference. Be like little Isaac who has a special place in heaven because his parents allowed him to make a difference and be part of God's plans and accomplishments. I'm a single mom...but I won't let that define me.  Isaac had a heart condition...but that's not how we remember him.

How will YOU be remembered?