Fossils of Life

Posted by Michael La Framboise on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 Under: Meditations

Grandpa was a simple man, to be sure. A man of a bygone era. We call it the Greatest Generation, but we do not mean it for a second! For not one of their values do we continue to hold; not one of their morals do we continue to esteem; not one of their ethics do we continue to regard. Grandpa is a relic and his memory but a fossil; they are simply reminders of things from long ago which no longer have any consequence. His life was a vapor, and all the whisps have vanished. The preacher was dead-on, “All is vanity.”

And yet. And yet I wonder. What if there is something to be learned from these fossils of life? What if there is meaning in these relics? Besides, even vapors from the stove can leave behind a wonderful aroma after they are long gone. As the Bible says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren.” When I think of the great inheritance I have in the Lord because of Jerry Osborne, I begin to appreciate who he was.

He was Amos, a simple preacher from the country who faithfully proclaimed the word of God. He was Nehemiah, a visionary builder who toiled with the trowel with one hand while he held the sword of the spirit in the other. He was Jeremiah, a man with many reasons to weep, who was yet spurred on by the fire of God’s word burning within him. He was Paul, a man who preached the foolishness of the cross; a man buffeted by Satan’s messengers; a man forsaken by trusted allies; yet a man who stood firm to the end.

He could teach me about faithfulness, commitment, and endurance, though perhaps less about patience and serenity, for dear Grandpa could be a touch restless. But he could teach me how to love my family, how to serve my church, and how to keep the Lord at the center of everything. He could teach me how to keep going when I feel like quitting, how to remain true when compromise wins the day, and how to stay in the fight when it seems the cause is lost. He could teach me about integrity and loyalty, about grace and sacrifice.

As I remember his life, I wonder what he could teach me. But these fossils and relics yet speak: What he could teach me, he did. Is there someone you need to remember, some fossils from your life’s past you need to learn from? What about those who will come after you? Will they have a relic from your life to teach them? Live today for Christ, for soon enough your life will be someone else’s memory…or not.

In : Meditations 


Tags: grandpa  fossils  relics  life  living  family  memories 
blog comments powered by Disqus