Question.

"Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?"

My husband put a photo on our desktop background and it has made me think all day long.  The photo is of a gravestone - a friend sent the picture of the gravestone along with a message about a sermon he's giving at church.  Apparently, the gravestone belongs to someone our friend knew...other than this man's name and the year of his birth/death, the only thing written on the stone was the question from above.  I am so challenged by this question - are the things I'm living for worth Christ dying for? 

In all that we've been through this year I know that we've made the right decision for our family.  I know that being fully present as Stella's mom is the best gift I can give to her; it is also the best way for me to honor God at this time in my life.  Being her mom doesn't mean I can't also serve God in other ways, but I am confident that I'm called to invest in her life primarily.  I know we chose to live according to God's call on our lives when Tim chose to stay in his job rather than leaving for something that would offer higher pay and better benefits.  I know that God was honored by my choice to stay at home with Stella, even though leaving my job meant that we could no longer afford to pay our mortgage.

I have been thinking a lot about our legacy lately.  I watch people all around me who are just living for the next "thing" in their life...the next car they will buy, the next house they will purchase, what kind of toys they have, whatever is coming down the pike at work, how much this or that costs, etc.  It all seems so empty.  I want to leave a legacy and I know that part of the legacy I am leaving is through our children, biological and spiritual.  I am hopeful that the things I'm living for now are worth Christ dying for and I'm challenged to continue asking myself that question each day.

Makes me think of this video: