Ecclesiastes 2:16

In Memory Of

- For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! -

What a legacy

Legacy.

That’s a scary word. If you die today, what would they say at your funeral? How long will you be remembered? Will you ever be as significant as Eli Whitney?

Solomon knew he would die just as the fool. The first thing that jumped to his mind? He would be forgotten.

Now, we could claim he is wrong. Aren’t we talking about him now? Yes in a sense, but the true memory of him has faded along with most of his accomplishments.

Not to mention technology has outpaced them, giving them a quaintness.

Even then, how long until we completely forget him? That heat death is coming sooner or later.

Let’s be clear. Legacy is vanity. It doesn’t matter what people think of you; it’s all going to fade.

This shows us more where Solomon was at in his life. He had accomplished much and knew he would die. He had become preoccupied, like most great men, on how he would be remembered.

The realization that his death would result in his eventual anonymity filled him with more despair than death could. People are capable with life ending; they just don’t want to be forgotten.

It’s this point where I must turn the focus away from Solomon and towards us, but today I have to do something entirely reproachful.

I’m going to focus on me.

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know a little bit about my working history. That God wanted more of my time, and my job got in the way of it.

What did God want? Well, I was shocked as you to find out it was writing.

Listen, I make spelling errors and grammar mistakes, so pipe down. I don’t think this meant my writing was “blessed” or anything like that.

I was told to write and write for a long time.

So, what’s happened? In less than a year, I became a published author. I know. Blew me away too.

One thing I’ve struggled with a lot? Fame.

Look, this blog isn’t setting the world on fire. My social media accounts don’t have a lot of followers. Nobody wants to make my short story into a sitcom.

But you know what? I’m honestly good with that. I was told to write. I don’t know the end of that and neither do you. Perhaps I’m supposed to do it for one person. It doesn’t matter to me; I only care to be obedient.

BUT!

It matters to me. Why? Well, if I don’t write my absolute best for the most people possible, then what am I writing for? Sure, it may be for the one, but isn’t two more than one? It’s a star to aim at; not a place I’m demanding to own.

In short, I struggle with legacy – like all of us.

We should do what we find meaningful as if on a stage, despite the lack of an audience.

Aren’t we supposed to be doing unseen acts as if everyone is watching?

Why? What’s the purpose in doing your work well for no extra compensation? What’s the point of witnessing to a world going to Hell?

Perhaps it’s man’s scales that aren’t attuned. Perhaps with different eyes we might see the Spiritual world around us.

Perhaps if all of mankind took up his cross, we might live in the Kingdom of God.