"Beyond The Grave"

"But I am poor and sorrowful: let Thy salvation, O God, set me up on high." (Psalms 69:29) Sometimes, if not always, we need to be reminded how weak and frail we really are. It's not that we have not been told over and over, because we have; but it makes more of an impact upon our lives when we get shown a thing or two that makes it seem real and present. Here is the main point of what really matters in this life, it will soon be over! Not quite sure that we totally get that point sometimes, because it seems many of us are set on storing up for great adventures that are still to come. It is so easy to get caught up in the pleasures of this life; the more you spend, the more you need to spend; the faster you go, the faster you need to go; the richer you get, the richer you need to be. But again, it will all end at the grave! None of that will matter any more, yet it took so much from what matters the most. What do you think will matter most about your life? It will not be how much you have gained or stored up, not to you it won't, only to those that get to spend it. I am not sure it will even matter how much money you gave away; although, you might have a bigger crowd at your funeral that have something good to say about you. I get so amazed thinking about all the possibilities that we have to really make this life matter; most of which we won't even begin to see for ourselves. Think about the thief on the cross; well there were two of them, both of which had an impact upon the world; one for the good, and one for the bad. The one that accepted Christ as his Lord, he has made more of an impact then he could have ever thought possible; while the other one, his impact went from bad to worst. The good thief, if you will, is still making an impact today, some two thousand years later; and people will still use him as an example of the simplicity of salvation in Christ. The other thief, his legacy is more about what not to do: don't pass up an opportunity for eternal life! My goodness! I mean how close do have to be to death before you stop trying to run your own life? Ruin a chance for life is more like it! Long story short, it is really not going to matter what is written on your tombstone, or even in your obituary...
"Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation that we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God. It is carved not on tables of stone, but on human hearts. We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of His new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:1-6) NLT