Thursday, February 26
Read: Psalm 121; Isaiah 51:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:3-7
In January of this year, about 30 alumni of Huntingdon’s campus ministry from about 1979-1981 gathered for a mini-reunion. It was a powerful reminder of the ripple effects of one’s life. We rarely have the blessing of knowing our effect on people we meet along life’s journey. We were given holy moments with each other to remember and express our gratitude. In this season, reach out to those who have touched your life in life-giving ways. Find them. Make sure they know.
Renee Good’s parents and her four siblings offered this testimony shortly after their dear child and sister was fatally shot in Minneapolis: “We want to thank everyone who has reached out in support of Renee and our family. The kind of unending care we’ve been given during this time is exactly the kind that she gave to everyone. ‘Nae’ was the beautiful light of our family and brought joy to anyone she met. She was relentlessly hopeful and optimistic, which was contagious. More than anything, she is there when your heart breaks and fills for another person. When we remember Nae, we remember her abundant heart, and we will move forward imitating that unending care.”
I offer some version of this at the celebration of life services in which I am honored participate: “The best way to honor your loved one is to embody the best of them in your own life.”
2 Timothy 1:3-5 I am grateful to God…when I remember you constantly in my prayers both night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands…
Huntingdon alum Rev. J. Michael Bryan wrote a song that captures this gratitude for the witness and presence of others:
I remember your faith, helping me to grow, I remember your faith, helping me to know
That I will never be the same, and every time I hear your name
I remember your faith
In another song, J. Michael declares, “I hear Jesus in your song.” May it be so in our lives.
Prayer:
Risen Lord, help me pursue holiness, kindness, wisdom, and justice that others will hear you in the song of my life.
The Reverend Dr. Chris B. Hughes ’76 is a retired United Methodist Elder who served as Campus Minister and Associate Director of Church relations from 1979-81.
