Your Mark.

What is the mark that you are leaving on this world?  What will people say when you are gone?  What will the Lord say when you meet your Maker?  I hope to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant."  I am going through a Bible study with the women at our church called Virtuous Woman: Shattering the Superwoman Myth.  It is over the Proverbs 31 woman.  Did you just shutter in your tracks or smile gleefully?  I do both when I think of her.  Oh how I long to be that woman.  I know I, nor will anyone on this Earth, ever attain all that she is, but it is the striving and the process that makes us the "modern day" Proverbs 31 woman.  The verse that stops me up the most right now is that she "arises while it is still dark." Prv. 31:15  Okay, I used to!  Before Kirby I could pop right up out of bed at 5 am, do my quiet time, make CR breakfast and hit the road for the gym all before 6 am.  Now I am doing good to be out of bed with coffee in hand by 6 am.  I am working on it though.  The part of this Bible study that stood out to me the most this past week was that they asked us to imagine being able to view our own funeral.  The point was to consider what kind of legacy you are leaving behind.  Will people remember you by always looking good and being dressed to the nines?  Or your kids always being dressed to the nines?  Were you a work-a-holic?  Or will you be remembered for your good deeds?  Or your service to the Lord?  The exercise had us write down what we would want people to say at our funeral; I went back and added a few more to the list that I would want included; I bolded them.  Let me tell you, it made me think, "This is what I would want them to say, but is this what would come to their minds?"

• Your husband: She loved and gave 100% to me and the children.  She was my partner and best friend.  She completed me here on this earth.  She was my lobster.
• Your children:  She loved and gave 100% to our family.  She always put us after God and dad, but we knew we could crawl up in her lap at anytime - even at 18 years old.  She always had a smile and kiss for us.  She taught us to love the Lord with all our hearts and to rise and shine and give God the glory. 
• Your pastor: She loved and gave 100% to her Lord.  She grew.  She discipled.  She was devoted to doing God's work.
• Your friends: She loved and was always there for us.  We knew we could count on Lauren to not only show up, but to help out.  She was there for Godly wisdom and advice and when she listened, she really listened. 
• Your co-workers: She loved and gave 100%.  We could always count on Lauren to follow through.  If Lauren's name was on it, we never worried.  You could tell the Lord had a hand in everything she did.  She was joyful to all the other staff and always had that joy to pass on to the students.
• Your sister: She loved and gave 100%.  She always treid to do and tell me what was best.  She always had the best of intentions.  She put me before herself.  She loved my children as her own.
• Your parents: She loved and gave 100%.  She was obedient, even when she was grown and on her own.  She respected.  She stepped up to the plate even in tough situations, but we knew it was because she had the Lord in her heart and it showed in all she did.
• Your in-laws: She loved and gave 100%.  She was a wonderful mother to our grandchildren and a virtuous wife for our son.  We considered her our daughter-in-love and the love of Jesus shined through in all she did for our family.  She definately added some spunk to the family with her giddyness and "woohooos".
• Strangers throughout town: She was always happy.  There was always a smile on her face and when we asked why she was so happy, her response was "because I have the love of Jesus in my heart."  She was always grateful for the services provided, always used our name and thanked us when we were done.  She caught us off guard at times, but always left us grinning from ear to ear.

Now, keep in mind this is what I would want them to say.  This is what I would love to hear if I could be incognito at my own funeral.  Sometimes I feel that is what I could be confident they would say; other times I think, "hmmm, what would they say today?  I was a little edgey or impatient or disagreed in an ugly manner.  My sarcasm has been harsh today ...."  Just some food for thought: On an normal, everyday basis, what would the people you encounter say about you?  Jot some notes down and then pray about their responses if they aren't what you would want them to say.  Look into your heart and consider what kind of mark you are leaving behind with your children, grandchildren, and friends.  Are you who you want to be?  More importantly, are you who the Lord wants you to be?  Did you choose to dance and love?

"An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels." Proverbs 31:10