LIVE: Lenten Devotion Day 11

Lenten Photo Devotion: Day 11

LIVE

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus."Teacher," 

he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 

He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 

He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, 

and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 

And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."

Luke 10:25-28

Life is full of questions. Like the lawyer we seek answers from the learned and wise. We look for knowledge and logic and hope that someday we will learn enough to "get it." With enough book smarts and enough information we can know God and know the right way to live a life that is abundant, purposeful and lasting. Isn't this what the lawyer is after?

Jesus' reply is simple, what have you learned in all your books, with all your education?

Easy, the Lawyer thinks - I know this one! I read it in a book - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 

                                 Jesus' reply is much more complex: "do this, and you will live."

                                        We can learn much, but Jesus call us to live much.

                                            Live what the bible teaches, don't just learn it

                                                                             LIVE

                                                                         Eternally

                                                                        Just do it

A Life to Remember

"For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ...their end is destruction." "But our citizenship is is in heaven and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

(Philippians 3:18,19,20)

Today I celebrated the life of a wonderful woman. Peggy Kelley Roberts was my mother-in-law and today we said farewell as we remembered her life with great joy, laughter and more than a few tears. I wept, not for her death...but completely for my loss, my husband's loss, my two daughter's loss - our entire family's loss.

Peggy was one of God's meek saints. She was the stability and strength of our family, as my husband so beautifully stated. She was an incredible mother and wife, sister and grandmother, aunt and friend. She lived for her God and for her family and for her church - and, in about that order. So, I weep not for her death - for her death is a release and a reason for rejoicing. Her death means cancer no longer has a hold of her, pain and suffering will no more be a part of her vocabulary.

It also means she joins her beloved Jim whose farewell we celebrated in the same church just 8 weeks ago. They hated to be apart in life - why should death be any different? The church was full today, as it was 8 weeks ago and I can't help it but my heart is full of pride over this fact. Especially since many present didn't even know Jim or Peggy - but they knew one of their children or grandchildren. What that means to me is that the Godly and righteous influence of these two beautiful people did indeed rub off on their family - and we have gone on to form our own meaningful and cherished relationships. Like a pebble thrown into a pond - their influence will continue to ripple on for generations as we take what we learned from them and teach it to our own children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors.

It was a great day to remember a life lived well...I don't think I could ask for any more than to get to the end of my earthly journey and be remembered for a life well lived.

Farewell Peggy - until I see you again.