I just got back from vacation in Deep Creek, MD. It is one f my favorite places on earth. I am sure there are many other places with more majestic beauty that literally takes your breath away, like the Grand Tetons but this place has history. My family has been going there for 8 years now. That is, my wife Katrina, daughters, Kyra and Elena, sons Zach and Alex, mother Wende and dad Rodger, sister Brooke, nieces Maddie, nephew Jackson and until this year my brother in law Matt. This past January Matt (who was the brother I never had) lost a ten month battle to colon cancer. At the age of 33 it was devastating to say the least. This past week was filled with telling stories, tears, remembering Matt and mourning his absence. Death sucks and robs not only the individual of his life but it robs family and friends of time that was not supposed to be taken away at such a young age. As I have wondered and wrestled with God as to why he took Matt home to be with Him I have come up with no answers that satisfy my wondering heart and mind, especially as I see my sister, a widow at 32 and my nieces and nephew fatherless. But I know that Matt lived more in 33 years than most of do in a lifetime. It has made me wonder what my wood is worth? With what am I building? How am I living? Am I building with things that are valuable and worthwhile? Am I contributing or am I just breathing? Matt's LIFE and his death reminds me of something the Bible says. Each one should be careful how he/she builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light (1 Corinthians 3:10-13).
What is your wood worth? Build carefully! Thanks Matt for teaching what my wood is worth, how to live and how to die!
If you want to read more about Matt's journey through his battle with cancer check out his blog:http://www.mattsupdates.blogspot.com/
3 comments:
Good thoughts about life (and death). Makes you step back and think. Thanks man.
thanks for sharing your thoughts and questions bj. i am so glad you are blogging! you are a prophetic voice and i want to hear what God is saying to you and to us.
i'm about to post this quote on my blog but thought i'd share with you as well:
be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. do not seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. and the point is to live everything. live the questions now. perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
(rainer marie rilke, letters to a young poet)
bj - welcome to 21st century. what took you so long, man?
keep building, brother.
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