Pantano Christian Church

Last Tuesday morning I got a call from Dan Leeder.  His wife Michele, who had lung cancer, had just hours to live. I got to their home as quickly as I could.  It was clearly her final morning.  Her breathing was labored.  As the morning wore on, her family and friends began to gather at the house.  As we gathered around her bed, we cried and we prayed.  We read scripture.  We told stories about Michele and remembered the serious and funny things about her.  At 11:15 she took her last breath.  There was an amazing peace in the room.  There was no fear, only faith.  This dear sister was at home with the Lord.

At one point I decided to stand back and just observe what was happening.  I watched the dozen plus people around her.  I saw their love for her, their admiration of her and the gratitude of having lived life with her.  It was clear she had a deep relationship with each person.  She had impacted each person’s life in a special way.  She had given of herself to others, put others first and really loved these people.  And they loved her in return.

As I left the house after she passed, a thought kept running through my head. It actually stayed with me all day.  In fact, I still think about it.  I wondered who will be around my bed as I die.  Who have I impacted with my life?  Who have I loved so well that they would be with me in those final hours?  I couldn’t shake these questions.

On one hand that is an easy kind of question.  After all, I lead a “mega-church.”  I speak to thousands on the weekends.  I’ve helped start churches in several countries around the world.  I’ve touched lots of lives.  But here’s what I realized.  Touching lives is not the same thing.  Who are the folks in my life that I’ve really invested in at a deep level?  Who have I connected with at a soul level?  Who have I spend tons of time with, had deep conversations with, cried with and suffered with?  Who is my real family (not just biological)?

None of us really know the answer to who will be at our death bed.  Michele would tell you that it wasn’t her greatness or goodness that brought all those people around her in her final hours.  It was all about Jesus.  Her impact had everything to do with what Jesus had done in her life.  Jesus not only leads us to the Father, he not only shows the way to heaven, but he works in our lives so that we can become the kind of people who love well, serve selflessly and make a difference in others.  That day I re-committed to knowing and following Jesus so well that I would become more and more like him.  I want Jesus to continue to fill my life and transform me into his likeness.  It is not about a Michele or a Glen or anyone else.  In the end, the very end, it’s all about Jesus.

Joining Jesus to make a difference.

Glen