As I think about a mentor in my life, the first person I
think about is my father. Honestly, my dad is my hero. I look up to him and look to him whenever I
need advice.
Over the past few years (towards the end of high school and into
my first couple years of college), I have begun to build a strong and
meaningful relationship with my dad. He
is an impactful chief executive, loving husband, and caring dad. He has
demonstrated how to lead a life of devoted to Christ. He leads his work and our
family with purpose, sincerity, affection, and integrity. He is very out-going and cheerful towards
everyone. He literally has friends everywhere.
Our first official meeting for this mentor blog took place
about three months ago. It took place
during a 3-hour car ride, to my grandmother’s house. The purpose of the trip was not very joyous,
considering the reason for traveling was to see my grandmother in the hospital.
She passed away a few days later. It was a very sad time in my life. During the
trip, we were able to speak about spiritual formation and living a life with
purpose. We talked about the end of life
and wanting to be content with the way we lived and conducted ourselves. The
bible passage we talked about was 2 Timothy 4:7-8, which states, “I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is
in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have
longed for his appearing.” At the end of my life, I want to be able to say I
stayed true to God and fought for His Kingdom. I want to fight the fight and
win the race. God has given us so many
things that we don’t deserve. We must
use our gifts for His good. As I think about our talk, I want my life to be a
life fully devoted to God and devoted to furthering the Kingdom of Heaven! My
dad offered various examples of how to live according to God and not being
fearful, including 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but a spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind.” He encouraged me to continue
to remain strong in the faith and share my experiences of faith with my
friends.
When you die, there is going to be a tombstone. The tombstone is going to have dates written
on it. The dates will be the day that you were born and the day you died. In
between the dates, there is going to be a line.
That line is going to represent everything you have done in your life,
good or bad. Everything. What do you
want that line to represent? How do you want to be remembered?
Caleb,
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome that you and your dad have developed a stronger more meaningful relationship over the years. With that being said, I am sorry to hear about your grandmother. I know that is not easy but I am glad you are able to make meaning out of the situation. The things you and your dad discussed are important things for many people to think about while doing life. "How do you want to be remembered" can be a reality check to anyone but also a good motivation to live a life with purpose. I hope you and your dad continue to develop a bond. Thanks for sharing.
Philip
Hey Caleb,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your grandmother- I'm sure her passing was really hard on your entire family. As I read your post in light of the recent campus events it served as a really good reminder. Life is so fragile and fleeting. We truly never know when our last day will be so it is important to keep in mind the importance of kingdom living. While we are here on earth we should work for the glory of God and not take our lives and time here for granted.
Natalie