By Steve

When people pass...
Last week I attended the memorial service of my wife's grampa. It was a wonderful service and it was good for the family to get together to celebrate grampa's life.

Several people spoke at the service, all recounting the memories of grampa, good and bad. While they shared, my mind wandered a bit. I wonder what people will say about me when I die? Will there be more positive than negative? Will they be honest or will they make things up just to be polite? I wonder what people would say (or do say) about me right now. What does my life stand for? What impression am I leaving on people? What difference am I making?

I want to believe the answers to these questions would be positive, but I don't feel satisfied. There is much good to do in this world, and I don't do enough. Do you?

I want my life to count, all of it. I wonder how much time I waste. Time that could be used in more meaningful and productive ways. I wonder how much money I waste. Money that could really be put to good use. I wonder how many opportunities I pass by each day.

This coming saturday night, I am hosting a fundraiser event for the orphanage that Ali and I work with in Uganda. I am inspired by how much good Pastor Stephen Kibirango does in Uganda, and with so little. He is making a difference. His life matters. People will speak well of him.

I was disgusted yesterday, to learn that over the weekend both democratic candidates raised over 1 million dollars (in just two days). And for what? To get elected. I'm sure they do good, much of it. But so much money just to get votes...it's hard to swallow.

The great thing is...you don't have to go to Africa. You don't have to have a million dollars. You just have to do something with what you do have, where ever you are. And it will matter. Think about it. Act on it. And let's speak well of each others efforts now and when we pass.