Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3: 12-14 (ESV)
“Watch this Space.”
I haven’t seen one of them in a while—but the memory of that message on what would be otherwise empty billboards dotting the highways across our country lingers to this very day.
Those words—“Watch this Space”—couldn’t help but raise the expectation level of all who pass by, that what comes next will be worth coming back to see. It’s a marketing technique used to positively fill an empty space while generating interest from advertisers to use a space which passersby may be looking at in the days to come.
But more than that, it points us to the promise of tomorrow—that our next day will be even better than today.
“Watch this Space.” Look ahead. Look up. And as to all that has gone before, embrace it, learn from it, cherish the memories, but what comes next will be even better. Enjoy and embrace today, but what comes next will be worth looking for, waiting for and striving for—the next will be even better than before.
That’s the promise of Scripture. That’s the promise of eternity. That’s the promise of a God who sent His Son for us, so that through a relationship with Him, we might be assured that no matter how good today is—the best is yet to come.
And that’s the testimony of the lives of two precious servants of God who have left the rest of us behind within the last few weeks.
Virginia Clark, the beloved Mother of dear friends, left us on April 11 with a testimony of love for the least of those around us, and an example of courage in life that told us that no matter what you face—face it with a smile for all the world to see.
And Keli McGregor, a beloved husband, father and friend to many who left us on April 20 with a testimony that demonstrated every day that life is not about us, but all about others, and what we are supposed to do, with whatever God has given us, is to make the lives of those around us—and throughout the world—better. Every day—everywhere—in every way and always.
And I suspect if we listened closely, we would hear them telling us—through our sense of lostness and grief at their passing—that there is still much for you and me to do. Live. I suspect that they would want to tell those of us who remain that the memories will remain and smiles will begin to replace sadness over time, that there is much still for us to do and that retirement—for whatever reason—is never an option in the Kingdom of God, that the fear of tomorrow which tends to freeze us today is less than it’s made out to be, and that personal comfort—to the exclusion of living lives of impact for God—is something to eschew.
Through the imprint of those two precious lives, we have a trail of memories to prove that in the living of every day of their lives, we not only saw a difference made for the better in the lives of those they touched each day—but we could see and hear the words “watch this space” emanating from their lives—painting a picture for us of what was yet to come. And for those of us who knew them, and others like them, that space was always filled to overflowing—the next day and the next and the next—with the very best that God created their lives to be.
How can we best remember them in the days ahead? I suspect also, that there are others who come to mind now as we reflect together. How can we best remember all of them?
By living. Fully.
I suspect that all of them would want the memories of their lives to forever encourage and inspire us to continue to live out ours—with all the fullness which they did theirs—in the days ahead, realizing that the best is always yet to come.
“Watch this Space.”
What will fill the space on your “billboard” for all the world to see—the rest of today, tomorrow, the next day, and then the next?
Will it make a difference in the lives of those around you?
Will it be about others?
Will it demonstrate a life being lived fully and abundantly?
Will God be smiling at what fills the space?
“Watch this Space.”
Fill it with a life well-lived for Him and others.
In His Name—Scott
Copyright 2010. Scott L. Whitaker. All rights reserved.
