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Normally Norm
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What is to be inscribed on your tombstone?
2 stars|13 comments|September 02, 2007|349 reads
 

I was listening to Ravi Zacharias earlier this week, and he again related this story:

There were two evil brothers.  They were rich, and used their money
to keep their ways from the public eye.  They even attended the same
church, and looked to be perfect Christians.

Then, their pastor retired, and a new one was hired.  Not only could
he see right through the brothers' deception, but he also spoke well
and true and the church started to swell in numbers.  A fund-raising
campaign was started to build a new assembly.

All of a sudden, one of the brothers died.  The remaining brother
sought out the new pastor the day before the funeral and handed him
a cheque for the amount needed to finish paying for the new building.
"I have only one condition," he said.  "At his funeral, you must say
my brother was a saint."  The pastor gave his word, and deposited
the cheque.

The next day, at the funeral, the pastor did not hold back.  "He was
an evil man," he said.  "He cheated on his wife and abused his family."
After going on in this vein for a small time, he concluded with,

"But compared to his brother, he was a saint."

Petra has also been on my mind since Voice added his post over here.  The song of theirs that always get stuck in my head is actually off of Wake Up Call.  It's called "Believer Indeed".  Both point out a question to consider.  If today is your last day on Earth, what do you want said about you?

 
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Voice in DC
 Voice in DC
September 03, 2007
My kids would say...why is dad sleeping in so late?
Voice in DC
 Voice in DC
September 03, 2007
More seriously...great song...my greatest desire is that my tombstone read "His kids followed Christ"
Jen Rebo
 Jen Rebo
September 03, 2007
Really, I wouldn't want them to say anything at all.  What I would love is that when people thought of me the only thing they could see or come up with was Jesus, that there would just be His glory to focus on and nothing left of me.  That would be cool, but I don't know how it would work.
Normally Norm
 Normally Norm
September 03, 2007

Voice, it took my 3rd reading (for whatever reason) before I got your first comment.  That's morbidly funny. :)

Jen, you realize that another thing that got me started thinking about this is your bumper stickers, right? :) 

So while I was pondering this seriously, I wasn't opposed to "silly" things (and Voice's falls into that)

I haven't quite refined it yet, but I was thinking something along the lines of "We know where we put the body, but where did the spirit go?" 

Mike n Laura
 Mike n Laura
September 03, 2007
This entire topic is rather morbid. But I suppose I'd kind of like something such as the following:

"Here lies 'Daddy', a father after the Father's heart"

Being a daddy is the role I cherish and enjoy the most. I wonder if God is like that too?
Normally Norm
 Normally Norm
September 03, 2007

Alright I had to look up the word "morbid" after reading your comment Mike.  I think I also need to remove my morbid comment above after finding it (except I can't edit comments. :) ).  I thought morbid meant "of death" or something specifically relating to death.  After looking it up, I was wrong.  That seems to be happening quite a bit lately.

I don't think this topic is morbid.  Actually I think it comes up quite frequently.  Rick Warren seems to have built a movement off of it "Why are we here?"

Joking about it doesn't seem wrong to me either.  Humor takes the edge off of sadness.  Sometimes that is necessary to heal.  One of my favorite scenes in "Good Will Hunting" is the one where Robin Williams relates the story of his deceased wife waking herself up because she farted (and he claimed it so as to make her happy).  

On the other hand, sometimes it's necessary to reflect on it.  My father was over this weekend.  He has trouble seeing and his body is becoming more frail.  My mom passed away 5 years ago.  They used to go to Bluegrass festivals around the area pretty much all summer.  The reason he was over was because our church had a service that was a Bluegrass service.  He cried a lot, and towards the end, I heard a song I've heard a million times before but never really paid attention to the words besides the chorus.

I was standing by my window,
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw that hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
Theres a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky

I said to that undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord, I hate to see here go

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
Theres a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky

Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
Theres a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky

I went back home, my home was lonesome
Missed my mother, she was gone
All of my brothers, sisters crying
What a home so sad and lone

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
Theres a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky

We sang the songs of childhood
Hymns of faith that made us strong
Ones that mother maybelle taught us
Hear the angels sing along

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
Theres a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
Theres a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky

DarkRadiance
 DarkRadiance
September 03, 2007
Epitaph Inscriptions? I would like to have either:
"See, I told you I was sick." or
"A tomb now suffices him for whom the world was not enough."
Jen Rebo
 Jen Rebo
September 03, 2007
How about this: leave the tombstone blank and you could put bumper stickers on it.  :-)
Normally Norm
 Normally Norm
September 03, 2007

Like one that says:

Final Destination: Heaven? 

Voice in DC
 Voice in DC
September 03, 2007
Norm, this is actually an exercise that I did with a group of government leaders. We had a bunch of us in what is called "the partners program" where a government person and an industry person get hooked up for a year. It is a great program. Al the past partners get together in a reunion of sorts once a year. This last year, one of the exercises we ran asked this same question only slightly different: In ten words or less, what would you like people to write on your tombstone. It forces people to think from a different perspective outside of themselves.
Normally Norm
 Normally Norm
September 03, 2007

I would be a pain in the butt on that one.

I would come up with something that repeated a word 5 times and has 14 words total.  Then I would say "Oh, I thought you meant 10 different words". 

Normally Norm
 Normally Norm
September 03, 2007

BTW, I didn't really think of this as an exercise that was that odd.  I actually dislike New Year's Eve resolutions but I didn't think this was all that much different than that.

And the reason I don't like New Year's resolutions?  Because if you place the emphasis on the day, as soon as someone breaks their resolution they think "Well that's the end of that".  Or they hit November and say "Well that can wait".

Why?  Do it. 

Dennis Howe
 Dennis Howe
September 03, 2007
I kinda like...I've gone to be with my friend"