{"id":239292,"date":"2023-08-24T13:26:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T18:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/?p=239292"},"modified":"2023-08-24T13:26:16","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T18:26:16","slug":"how-then-shall-we-live-die-setting-a-godly-example-in-all-stages-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/how-then-shall-we-live-die-setting-a-godly-example-in-all-stages-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How Then Shall We Live & Die \u2013 Setting a Godly Example in All Stages of Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by John Coulombe, Director of Development, Legacy Coalition<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently a friend of my vintage shared that he couldn\u2019t attend an event because his parents wouldn\u2019t let him go out! Realizing he was in his 70s, I questioned whether or not his parents were actually still alive! His response? \u201cNo, I\u2019m actually referring to Mother Nature and Father Time!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This special season as grandparents also comes with the reminder that we aren\u2019t what we used to be, which Solomon woefully noted as he journaled near the end of his life (Eccl. 12)! Moses wrote, \u201cMan may live to be 70 or 80, but then we fly away\u2026\u201d<\/em> (Ps. 90:10-12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if we live long enough, things will naturally fall apart\u2026it\u2019s part of the aging process\u2026and it is bothersome, uncomfortable, unwelcomed, and\u2026well, the pits! As my mother once put it, \u201cJohnny, these golden years are getting tarnished!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s ideal is actually realistic IF we allow the Holy Spirit to be in control. The one thing that need not deteriorate with age is our spirit\u2014our inward being. The apostle Paul says it this way: \u201cWe never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day\u201d<\/em> (2 Cor. 4:16). Apparently, we can be renewed<\/em> daily and mature<\/em>, instead of becoming grumpy, crabby, and withered old curmudgeons!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This then begs a question as it relates to our grandchildren. What will they see and what will they remember when our bodies begin to have a breakdown?<\/strong> (and that will happen if we live long enough)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Characteristics from Psalm 71<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Below is a list of characteristics, gleaned from Psalm 71, is my hope to leave as a living legacy for my grandchildren as they witness this season of my life. May my life teach these timeless biblical truths. May I be the grandparent who:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Leans on God<\/strong> for protection when entering the \u2018danger zones.\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Has radiant joy, peace, and hope<\/strong> in the midst of sorrow and pain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Offers genuine praise<\/strong> to the LORD instead of complaints about the medical personnel, hospital, or hospital food.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Lives above my circumstances<\/strong> instead of under them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Consults with God<\/strong> re: His will\u2026and trust<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Plans ahead<\/strong> re: my physical living will and trust.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Is quick to share in word and deed, talk and walk, the power of the Gospel<\/strong> and testify to God\u2019s goodness in my own life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. So covered in grace<\/strong>, it spills all over everyone and everything I bump into!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    This is my challenge and hope for you, grandparent, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Personal Thoughts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    While lying in a hospital bed at St. Jude Hospital in August of 2006, I was given the privilege of time to re-evaluate my life and life\u2019s work. I discovered that when one\u2019s body is broken, many values change: that which was so important no longer is; and that, which meant so little, strangely means so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the middle of the night, I spent some precious moments reviewing my outlook on life\u2014and death. When I woke the next morning I wrote them down, realizing opportunities to think like this are rare and greatly stimulated by being at and in this kind of place. I called it Thoughts from Room 387<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are a few of those musings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Trust Him<\/strong> \u2013 God is in control. I\u2019m not. (Ps.115:3)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Slow Down<\/strong> \u2013 God is not in a hurry. I am. You\u2019re a patient, so be patient. (Matt. 6:25-34)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Focus on Him, Guard your heart<\/strong> \u2013 Center your heart on the Lord\u2019s, rather than on your own broken-down heart. (Col. 3:1; Phil. 4:6-7; Prov. 4:23)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Pray for others<\/strong> \u2013 In the hospital, there are always people worse than you. Reach out with a word if you can, but you can certainly pray for them. (Rom. 12:9-21; 1 Cor. 15)                 <\/em>  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Be joyful, thankful<\/strong> \u2013 Be grateful for small things. (1Thess. 5:16-18; Phil 4:11-14)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Savor the moments<\/strong> \u2013 Enjoy the little things in life. (Prov. 17:22) Use them as an opportunity to become more Christ-like. (2 Cor. 4)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. Prepare to meet your God<\/strong>  \u2013 Reconcile with anyone you need to. (Amos 4:12. 1 Cor. 14:33; 2 Cor. 5:18-20)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      There were so many more things that came to mind. Remember, as God continues to teach you first, may you have the opportunity and courage to share these musings with your grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How should we then live \u2026. or die? We should do all to the glory of God and the good of others. May your grandchildren know how to live and die because they watched you, grandparent!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      God\u2019s ideal is actually realistic IF we allow the Holy Spirit to be in control. The one thing that need not deteriorate with age is our spirit\u2014our inward being. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":239295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-generational-living"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/How-Then-Shall-We-Live-and-Die.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239292"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239296,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239292\/revisions\/239296"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}