Yesterday afternoon, a neighbor watched the boys so I could go to a memorial service for one of our church shepherds. He died very unexpectedly last Thursday night at only 49-years-old. He left a wife and two grown daughters, ages 22 and 20 (I think)...his older daughter got married just a couple of months ago. At the service, four men who knew him well spoke about the impact he had on them and others around him. They spoke the truth about him, both the positive and negative, and the truth was admirable. I think it is not too much to say that every soul in that packed auditorium was inspired by the telling of Dan Baxter's life. His priorities were right, his heart was full of Christ, and he had plenty of room in his life for others. And, despite the obvious grief and shock of the close friends and family, I was impacted by the joyful undertone of the ceremony. The songs were songs of victory, the stories were both funny and poignant, and the speakers were transparent. It truly was, as it purported to be, a celebration of Dan's life.
In some ways, a memorial like this is a more spiritual experience even than a church assembly can be. It's kind of where the rubber of our faith meets the road: do we believe that death is a victory? Do we believe that all that matters in life is being devoted to Christ and showing love to others? And most of all, do we believe that the transforming power of Christ can make each one of us into the kind of person that leaves a legacy like Dan Baxter's?
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