Today there were two funerals. One was splashed on the television and one was in a church. One was expected and one was not. One was for the former President Ronald Reagan. The other was for Bill Beauvais, a strong man of God who served Him faithfully and humbly spurring others on in Christ--setting a great example to live by.
These two funerals affected me in a number of ways.
President Reagan's funeral reminded me of the time in America when we respected our leaders and had hope in the future. When the people here actually cared for one another. It brought this country momentarily together to remember and respect a great leader who changed the world. To see past presidents and prime ministers who were involved in his life sitting in the same room all doing the same thing was powerful. To hear four important people--former Canadian Prime Minister, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former Pres. George Bush, and current President George W. Bush all speak about former Pres. Ronald Reagan was amazing. They all commented on his humor and peaceful demeanor in stressful situations. The two President Bush's both commented on his strong faith and his desire for America to be a city on a hill. Reagan was grounded in his faith, especially after the attempt on his life. He knew that God had a greater purpose for him that even he realized.
Mr. Beauvais' funeral caused me to reflect on how one man's faith can change a multitude of people. He was a missionary in Africa and raised a family there helping people understand the love of Christ. He moved to the States and continued to minister to people. During the funeral some men in my church and leaders within Campus Crusade spoke about his integrity, quite, humble spirit who understood the importance of team work and bringing glory to God and not yourself. What an awesome witness! It reminded me that the point of living isn't about me...It's about God. I was created to glorify Him, to grow to be more like Him and see Him use my life to further His kingdom.
Two men both serving God in very different ways, both humble, and willing to do what God asked.
"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand."
-Psalm 37: 23-24
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many of you were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." -1 Corinthians 2:26-27
No comments:
Post a Comment