I
recently had the blessed opportunity at sharing at the annual service at
Shady
Grove
Methodist
Church
at
Logan
,
Alabama
. Shady Grove recently got on the
list of National Historic Sites. Every
year on the first Sunday in May, people from literally all over the country
assemble at the little country church in honor of past generations of family
members who passed on a wonderful legacy…a great heritage of spiritual
blessings. It is the only service
at the church for the year. There
is no electricity…no plumbing…a beautifully maintained cemetery is on the
hill above the church. There were
people there as far away as
Washington
and
Oregon
. Each had the chance to share
memories and stories of ancestors who were born and raised in the community
and who were now buried in the cemetery. Relatives
of former President Lyndon Johnson are buried in the cemetery, victims of
small pox as they passed through the area on their way to
Texas
.
How easy it would have been to simply
reminisce about the past…to recall wonderful memories of sitting on the
front porch and warming by the fires. We
certainly honor those who have gone before us by remembering.
And yet, we are here today because so many of them did more than
remember their past…they lived their lives everyday…they witnessed to the
world by their actions so we could follow.
Follow, yes, to enjoy the blessings but also to pave the way for future
generations to follow. Their means
were limited…their bank accounts small….but their lives!, their lives were
rich beyond measure.
Churches like Shady Grove dot this great country, and they
stand for much more than memories of the past…they represent lives given to
Jesus Christ in an effort to change this world.
These churches were built to glorify God and to offer strength and
purpose to those who wish to make a difference.
We honor them with celebrations and special services dedicated to their
memories…but more than that, we honor them with the way we live our lives
each day. Their commitment to
Christ makes a difference in our commitment to Him.
The real focus is not what they have done for us, but what
are we going to do for them? Will
we honor them with a life of dedication to the same Christ they worshiped.
What about the next generation? Where
will they meet? What will they say
about us? Will our lives reflect
our faith as our grandparents reflected theirs?
Will our children be touched not just the by the stuff we leave them ,
but more importantly the way we live our lives?
We have so very much to be thankful
for…so many to offer thanks to. Those
who have gone before us should be remembered.
May each of us live this day to glorify Christ and to show our world a
life of commitment that will bring the blessings of the past to the
generations of the future.
Thanks be to God for Christ, our
yesterday, today and tomorrow.
- In Christ,
- Billy