Searching Eyes

I was in my office late the other night. In this place of sanctuary is a credenza where I have all kinds of memorabila from trips to various parts of the country and beyond. There's a bust of Abraham Lincoln from a trip to Springfield, IL; a rock from the beaches of Normandy, a piece of the Berlin wall, a small model of the Eiffel Tower, carved wooden gadgets my grandfather carved with his own hands, a bronze rose from my mother's casket, rock awards given to me from Girls 1 at Green Valley Bible Camp, and a host of other things that pull up certain memories from my past.
But that's not what caught my eye. What drew my attention and made me move over to the chair to face them were pictures. There's a picture of my Uncle Seldon in his doughboy uniform from World War I and he's wrapped in an American flag. A picture of my mom in her wedding dress. A picture of Woodrow Wilson comprised of thousands of soldiers from Camp Sherman during World War I. My grandfather Garloch is in the picture. This picture was included in Life magazine's 50 greatest photos of the century. There's a picture of my dad when he was young, robust, filled with dreams of changing the world. There's a picture of my daughter Meredith smiling broadly during her senior year of high school. Martha and Nate had their pictures made together and it's such a good picture. There's another picture of a debonair Nate with one of his "got the world on a string" smiles.
I sat there and looked at those pictures and all of their eyes seemed to be fixed on me. All of them looking to me as if to ask, "What are you making of your life?" In the case of my parents, grandparents, and great uncle, "Are you passing on what we gave to you?" As for the rest of my family, "Will you be there for us?" and "Will you lead us?" I was moved to tears as I looked at those who were and are dear to me. It was a God challenge to say to me, "Reflect on your life." My thoughts are the same as Paul's when he said, "But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." That's what I want. That's what I want to pass on, to know Christ. And not just to know Him, but to know the surpassing greatness of knowing Him.
What a challenge. I hope I'm up to it. I'll try not to let them down. And neither should you. Have a great day. JW