Skip to main content

Why I Don't Need to Die to be on an Important List for 2013

This is the time of year when people who died will be remembered. That's not a bad thing. Lists will abound of famous people, actors and actresses, athletes and others, reminding us of the legacy they left behind. World figures will be named and applauded for what they accomplished in life and left behind in death.

But its only a partial list of those who left planet Earth in 2013. It does not include everyone who made an impact. Media outlets cannot possibly list everyone who died last year, along with the impact they made on those left behind. It would be ludicrous of us to expect them to do so. But perhaps this small corner of the world wide web is perfect for a reminder that no impact is so small that it shouldn't at least be acknowledged.

It's why God included the genealogies in the Bible. You know, those parts of the Bible you've never seen in a Bible study and the chapters no one wants to read aloud.

Yeah,those chapters.

I like to think God included them and made them tediously long to remind us that each person matters. David doesn't appear and become the giant-killing king unless Jesse becomes a dad. We don't hear about Abraham if there is no Terah. And don't even get me started on Melki and all the adventures we would never know about without Jannai.

Each person matters. My insignificance does not equal a lack of importance. I play a role. It may be a minor role. But I am on this planet. I am here for a purpose.

So are you. We may not know each other. And if one us goes in 2014, we may not make any list that anyone will ever hear about. But don't you ever doubt that God has you on His list. And somewhere, someday, your name will be listed and called out. God will reveal your impact, your legacy.

And that will be the only list that matters.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Studies on the Go...Genesis

To be honest, I had not heard of Studies On The Go before being offered a review copy by my god friends at Youth Worker. But since I’m always looking out for study ideas, I said yes to this opportunity. Studies On The Go by Laurie Polich-Short has 30 studies. This particular edition is on the book of Genesis. Any book of the Bible can be daunting when you’re trying to interest and impact teenagers. But Genesis increases that difficulty due to the many questions that arise on the topic of creation. On top of that, you have the many stories of questionable characters that we often call heroes of the faith. Each study comes with great questions, not mindless Sunday School questions where every answer is Jesus. They also come with an optional activity to take the lesson a step further and create true impact. Add to that a weekly plan for students to go deeper and you have a winner of a study in one little book. If all the book studies are as well done as this one, I’d ...

What Are You Capable Of?

I fancy myself to be just like Batman...without the money, the cave, the vendetta, the car and the cool belt. Other than that, we're pretty much the same guy. Does it help my case that I have a boy wonder? It's my son, but I'd take him over a dude in green tights any day. I've also imagined myself to be similar to Superman...you know, but without the super strength, speed, or that thing he can do with his eyes. Oh, and I'm also not from another planet. But he was a reporter and I like to write, though that hasn't been proven much by my blog. At least, not compared to what I used to write. The first time I write this post, it sounded like an apology. But that's not really the message I want to convey. Yes, I wish I were posting more. I also wish I had super strength or a cool utility belt, but those things aren't happening right now either. Maybe some day . The truth is I have been keeping busy. I'm not sitting back, sipping lemonade. I've never c...

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...