tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84050499553120860252011-07-31T03:02:13.181-07:00Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05057643457659794472noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8405049955312086025.post-60581966934619912802009-10-22T08:53:00.000-07:002009-10-22T06:47:58.334-07:00Alright, well I finally decided to start up a blog.<br />I'll basically use this to let some of the overflow of my mind have a home haha.<br />So here's what's on my mind today...<br /><br />At Kairos (Tuesday night church for young adults that meets at Brentwood Baptist) this past week we talked about our legacies.<br />The stories we leave behind when we leave this earth for our new home.<br />and Mike (the pastor) asked a question that has been weighing on my mind ever since he asked it.<br />"What stories will you leave behind?"<br />So I got to thinking...<br />What stories will be told at my funeral?<br />What will my friends and family remember me for?<br />Will I be 'that guy I knew in high school'<br />or 'that dude that led my small group at camp'<br />or 'that one guy I saw play music that one time'?<br />Or will I be 'that guy that hurt me'<br />or 'that guy that never paid attention to me'?<br />Who will speak at my funeral?<br />More importantly who will even COME? haha<br />These are questions I will never know the answer to while I'm still on this earth<br />These are questions that I haven't the slightest clue how to answer<br />But, questions that I can most definitely have influence on how they are answered<br />Mike said something else that stuck with me<br />"You don't have control on when you go, and you don't even have control on HOW you go, but you do have control on what stories you leave behind"<br />So it got me thinking about this short life I've lived thus far<br />And all the stories that I've accumulated over the years<br />And out of all of those stories which ones I'm actually proud of<br />So here we are now<br />The stories I'm not so proud of outweigh the ones I am proud of<br />Which I'm sure many of you can say the same thing, after all we all are human and we all make mistakes<br />So how do we go about changing this?<br />One practical way Mike talked about was being good stewards of the relationships we have been blessed with<br />After all God has a purpose and plan with each and every relationship we're a part of<br />Otherwise why would we be in those relationships?<br />We can be good stewards of relationships by investing time in each other<br />This can be something small like taking 30 seconds to send someone a text just letting them know you're thinking of them<br />it could be something a bit bigger like grabbing lunch with someone<br />or even spending a weekend on vacation with them, taking a roadtrip, etc<br />The list goes on and on<br />It could be just simply telling someone you love them<br />I don't understand why we have become so afraid of telling people this in our time, but I don't like it<br />If you love someone, let them know<br />There are no guarantees you'll have another chance to do so<br />And who knows, maybe it might be something they needed to hear at that moment<br />What it all boils down to is a very simple concept:<br />Other people are more important than yourself<br />So why do we find it so difficult to invest time in others?<br />I wish I knew the answer for all of us<br />But for now all I can say is for myself, I get selfish<br />I want my "me" time too often<br />I am too easily frustrated<br />I need more patience with others<br />I need a more humble spirit<br />I need to put others before myself more<br />These are all things I am working on<br />And hopefully I will begin to bear fruit of this<br />Anyways, I will leave you with the same question Mike asked of us at Kairos<br />"What stories will you leave behind?"<br />What impact will you have on those around you?<br />What pieces of your life will you leave behind, imprinted on the ones you love?<br />Who will people say you were?<br /><br />With love,<br /><br />Brad<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8405049955312086025-6058196693461991280?l=thesilentfight.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05057643457659794472noreply@blogger.com2