In the Event of My Untimely Death - Please Read This

“Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah” Genesis 25:8-9

“And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him’ Genesis 35:29

“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers.” Acts 13:36

            I do not think that I will die today. I do not think that I will die tomorrow. However, I do not know for certain that I will not die today, or tomorrow. We are not promised a set number of days on this earth. Only God knows the number of our days. I am still relatively young, and in relatively good health, but I must still be prepared for the possibility of death. As a Christian husband and father, I must be ready and prepared.

            As I read the Bible, I am struck by those men of faith who finished the race with dignity. The deaths of Abraham, Isaac, and David show that it is important that we are prepared for the eventuality of death, and that we leave a godly legacy for those we leave behind. What does that legacy look like?

            Over the past few months, I have seriously considered the kind of legacy I want to leave behind for my family. It started as I listened to radio talk host Dave Ramsey who suggested preparing a legacy drawer. Ramsey is a financial guru who gives straight-talk answers to his callers about financial troubles. On one of his programs, he started talking about a legacy drawer that he has prepared for his family in the event of his death (you can read more about Dave Ramsey’s tips on making a legacy box at http://www.daveramsey.com/article/legacy-drawer-keep-your-family-prepared/lifeandmoney_relationshipsandmoney/). The legacy drawer contains insurance policies, deeds to vehicles and property, safe deposit box info, etc. Shortly after listening to Ramsey, I started preparing my own legacy drawer. I started to plan my memorial service, and asked a fellow pastor and great friend if he would perform my service. I tried to put in writing all of the things I would want done to prepare my body, etc. so that my wife or children did not have to worry about those details should I die.

            I also started working on getting my financial house in order, making lists of bank accounts, insurance policies, with passwords, etc. that my family may need if I were to die tomorrow. The truth is that I still have a lot of work to do in preparing my legacy drawer, but I have started to take those necessary steps for those whom I love.

            But, leaving a legacy is more than just having a will in place and financial records accessible. I started thinking about lessons I would want my children to know. What if I am not alive to walk my daughter down the aisle? What would I want her to know? What advice would I want my son to know about his first job, or supporting a friend? Would my wife know how much I truly loved her and how much I appreciated her standing next to me in all circumstances? While I felt they could be provided for financially with a legacy drawer, I knew that I wanted to leave them with more.

            So, I started writing letters for them. I have created three-ring binders with letters to my children. These letters tell them how I have enjoyed watching them grow up and learn new things. Additionally, I have started writing letters that can be shared with my family when I pass from this earth to be with my Lord. These letters are being placed in a binder for family members to read after I die. These letters tell of wishes I have for each family member, and important lessons I want to leave for each of them. Also, I am trying to leave a journal that will tell my family a little about my life, the things I valued, and my struggles and successes. I want them, most of all, to understand that Jesus is important to me and that I want Him to be important in their lives as well. I have considered leaving video message for family members, and I know that I would like to leave them with a gift and an object to remember me by.

            But, there is one final step in leaving a legacy that has been more difficult for me to enact. I have good memories from my time here on planet earth. I have also made mistakes and have broken relationships with some family members and people I once called friends. An important part of leaving a positive legacy is to lovingly confront those people and work on healing and repairing those relationships. Here’s the kicker. I am not always the person primarily at fault for those strained relationships. However, as I read the Bible, I find it clear that regardless of fault, I have a responsibility to repair those relationships. That is a big part of being a man of God.

            I want the end of my life to be as faithful to God and my family as I hope my every day life is. What better legacy to leave than to have the words, “having served the purpose of God in his own generation, he fell asleep and was laid with his fathers” said of me? Isn’t that the legacy you would want, too.