Craig Clouston

 The In Between

January 20

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Ephesians 4:1

There were tears mixed with laughter at the dinner. There must have been three hundred people in attendance. All of them had come to share precious memories of the man they had laid to rest that morning.

He had not been a pillar of the community, nor was he well known outside this circle of friends. Yet his life had a profound effect on the people he touched.

A philanthropist of sorts, Byron had given over seventy percent of his meager earnings to others in need. He’d held on loosely to what he had; it was his way of giving to the Lord. He never made it public and would have denied any connection to the prosperity others enjoyed due to his generosity. He lived a simple life in a simple home.

His wife had preceded him in death. He’d kept her memory alive by spending time doing things they’d done together: walking in the morning dawn, watching the sunrise, or watching the eagles soar over the river bottoms, so majestic and awe inspiring. Simple. Yes, that was how he’d seen himself.

But these people knew him for who he really was. He’d shared selflessly with each one of them somewhere between the day of his birth and today. They each had a personal story of his eager generosity. And together they represented his in between.

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Gravestones are purchased to memorialize the life of loved ones. On them we place a date of birth and a date of death. But what happens between those two dates is how we will be remembered.

In verse four of today’s text, Paul spoke of “one hope”: the hope we have in Jesus through His Holy Spirit. It is His Spirit at work in us, the Spirit of God Who teaches us how to live. Our response to His urgings can make a difference in the lives of untold numbers of those in need if we respond accordingly.

How will we be remembered for our in between?

Prayer

“Spirit of God, lead me. Help me make a difference in the lives of those who need a special touch. And help me remain obscure whenever my pride screams for recognition. Help me be a vessel of hope. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”