A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE

Ecc 3:1,2  To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die...

On Friday morning Jeff and I headed out to attend the funeral of my SIL's grandfather, Ralph te Velde.  I didn't know the man well, but what I did know of him I liked.  He was just one of those people who was always happy and always had a smile on his face.   My SIL was quite close to his grandfather, and has told us all many times of numerous things he learned directly from this man, not only about the dairy business that he loved, but about how to live and conduct his life.  I can't tell you how many times I have heard Mike say, "My Grandpa always says..." or "My Grandpa believes..", or "My Grandpa does it this way."  What an amazing influence that man had on my young SIL.  After sitting for a while at this service, I quickly saw that this man had a LARGE influence on MANY people, and there were many who would miss him terribly, whose lives were altered because he lived.  Now Ralph knew the Lord well, so there is no doubt that he is dancing in the streets of Heaven today, no longer troubled by the things of this world, and this particular service was really a celebration of his life, and a glorious graduation to the next.  But as I sat there listening to the various different stories from the people who knew him best, some from when he was just a young boy, to those who knew him in high school, to the men he worked with over the years, and finally to those who had come to know him like I had just over the last few years as a retired dairy man, husband, father and grandfather, I was truly amazed.  I found the verse in Ecclesiastes coming to my mind over and over again, and was struck by the truth in it.  "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."  We all go through the various seasons in our life, each unique in their own ways, living our lives out influencing those around us for either good or bad rather we realize it or not.  I began thinking of how I have influenced not only the people who are so close to me in my life, but ALL the people I have come in contact with, and rather or not it was for the good or for the bad.  When it comes time for me to die, I want my life to have counted for Him.  I want to feel the purpose that He had in mind for me was indeed lived out.  I want to be remembered as a woman who loved the Lord, and lived my life in a way that reflected that.  "There is a time to be born, and a time to die."  None of us know the time or place our souls will be required of us.  We need to live our lives NOW in a way that will count for all eternity.  This is our season to live, and our chance to do what the Lord has called us to do, is now.  Because we will all, with total certainty, reach our time to die, and when we do, we will stand before Him and give an account of our life.  I want to hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Mat 25:23 ...Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

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