Legacy

So yesterday I went to a funeral for a family friend. Her name was Polly and my family has lived across the street from her and her husband for almost 20 years. She had a long battle with pancreatic cancer that finally took her life.
Her funeral was so beautiful.. I love going to funerals where they speak about the person and you are sitting there thinking.... "This is all so legitimently true of how Polly was. no exaggerations, that really was how she was."
I would say the overall theme of the way people saw Polly was giving, selfless and thoughtful and I couldnt describe her better. She did all the little thoughtful acts that many of us often think about doing but dont get around to it. Polly always did them and this is how she showed her love and genuine care for others.
Polly was a Christian and had a genuine love for Jesus Christ. This was so evident in the person she was, in her battling her illness and eventually facing death and she still showed little fear. She had comfort and peace in knowing that she would soon be walking with her God Jesus Christ. That is so admirable to me. I am a Christian too and I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I know that when I die I will go to spend forever with my GOd... but if I am being honest when you are truly facing death, your faith gets more real.. and the kind of faith you have been saying you have or trying to have your whole life comes face to face. heart to heart. It made me think how I would handle the reallity of facing death so closely and it also made me realize that in a way we face death everyday as we never know the number of the days of our lives.
Pastor Doug did a wonderful job leading the service. He talked about the reason that Polly was able to live life so full of grace and love is because she received it so often from spending time with her Lord. How you can't give something you havent been given. and Polly was able to give so much love and grace to people all throughout her life because she had received so much love and grace that it was overflowing out of her. THis really made me want to read my bible more and spend more time learning about Jesus. Who He was and how He loved because I so bad want to be the type of person that flows love and grace from who i am and I believe the only way to truly do that is to be overflowing with the love and grace from the Lord.
One other point that Pasor Doug talked about was the power of your mouth, your words. How the way we use our words should always build up others even those who are just listening to you. This is something I had been thinking about quite a bit even before the funeral and so it was really great to hear it again and hear it talked about in the scriptures. THe power of our words can build and encourage someone beyond our imaginations and can also beat someone down and hurt people so deeply. I think we often get caught up in saying negative things about people to others and think that since the person doesn't know we are talking about them that it is causing no harm.... but I believe it still is. Paul talks about in Ephesians that our words should build up all who listen as well.. SO all this to say that it was another reminder that I want to strive hard to be a person that builds up always and that we make a conscious effort to only speak words of kindness about others.. THis is something that is hard and I am not saying I succeed at it by many means but it has been on my heart for a while to not fall into negative talk and this service and memory of Polly spoke to me and reminded me of how important that is.
So we will all miss Polly so much but I think she lived a life well lived. A life to be proud of. I know it is my greatest desire that people leave my funeral wanting to be a better person and grow closer to God because of who I was and how I chose to live. I remember feeling this way remembering my grandma's funeral as well, and that is completely how I felt leaving Polly's funeral. That is leaving a legacy!
Love and Blessings!