The Montecito Memorial

June 2nd, 2005

Recently Bobby’s grandma passed away and yesterday was a memorial service in remembrance of her. I did not know her well, but naturally I attended. Many relatives came, including some I had never met. People shared and cried, laughed and mourned. Some delicious food was provided and most everyone spent the time visiting. There was a table set up with pictures, old newspaper articles and memories of Grandma Blakey. I haven’t been to many memorials or funerals, but I am intrigued by what people remember about someone who has passed. It seems that most prominent points stand out, positive or negative. Maybe they were a strict parent, enthusiast of some hobby, loving to a spouse, successful in a career, education, or accomplishments. Failures are hardly mentioned because everyone is remembering all of the good things for which they lived.

It is common to be absorbed with image and reputation. It seems that we always want people to think we are the best at something, or at least leave an impression that will have us taken seriously. When someone describes us negatively we are offended. Surely we don’t want people to think we are judgmental, narrow-minded, a complainer or shallow. When I was younger I tried so hard to be physically attractive. I wore lots of makeup and made sure that my hair, clothes and nails were just so. I wanted people to say that I was the prettiest. Then one day I heard someone state that one of my sisters was the prettiest person they had seen. I was crushed! I wanted to make that impression and I had failed! Tonight I am thankful to have realized that all my attempts at image and reputation are futile in the Lord. Paul’s words in Philippians 3 have spoken loudly to this matter in my life as I seek to live pleasing unto the Lord and not to men.

“But what things were gain to me,
These I have counted loss for Christ.
Yet indeed I also counted all things loss
For the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,
For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish,
That I may gain Christ and be found in Him,
Not having my own righteousness, which is from the law,
But that which is through faith in Christ,
The righteousness which is from God by faith;
That I may know Him
And the power of His sufferings,
Being conformed to His death.”
Philippians 3:7-10
So many things are gain to us. We want success, acceptance and praise. No one wants struggles, suffering or death. But Paul says that in the ledger book of life, he would count all of the things he could list in the gain column in the loss column instead. Christ was all of the gain that he wanted. I read verse ten over and over, “That I may know Him…” Paul’s goal was not to please men or leave some impressive stamp on mankind. His goal was intimate knowledge of Christ. He didn’t just want an intellectual knowledge of Him, but a personal fellowship with Him. We can have this together with Christ if we have faith in Him. I pray this will become more and more my life’s goal and hopefully what I will be remembered as.
Not well-traveled,
Not well-read
Not well-to-do,
Or well-bred
Just want to hear instead
“Well done, good and faithful one”

5 Comments

  1. Kim
    June 3rd, 2005

    Oh, thank you for this, Christa. I have an almost-16 year old daughter who is sooo concerned about her looks right now. Even though I know it is not uncommon, I want so much for her to learn to worry more about God’s view of her. It’s hard.

  2. blakeyblog
    June 3rd, 2005

    Kim, yes it is hard and takes some time. I guess our world is so image-oriented, it’s hard to put the human acceptance desire aside and focus on our standing with and growing in the the Lord. I pray your daughter will grow out of this phase soon:).
    -Christa

  3. Jen =)
    June 3rd, 2005

    Again and again, we write along similar lines. That is the goal - to hear ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

    Would I but put all those other things in the loss column and leave them there!!!

    Thanks Christa!

  4. Pilot Mom
    June 3rd, 2005

    Christa, I know exactly what you mean. My nature is to please people and I used to be crushed often inside my spirit. I wouldn’t want them to know. What a difference knowing Christ has made in my life, knowing that it is only Him that I need to please. That doesn’t mean that I don’t slip into the old ways sometimes but I’m much quicker to recognize and confess and then get back on track quicker.

    As I think about “knowing Him” I am profoundly moved as I try to grasp the concept that for ALL ETERNITY I will continue to learn more and more about Him. I will never know Him enough. That is hard for my mind to grasp.

  5. Monica
    June 4th, 2005

    did you ever see “final cut”? your post made me think of that, how people choose to remember people when they die. I think it’s kind of sad, it’s a twisted thing. just so you know, i’ll remember you well! love you so much sis!! :)

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