To No One's Sorrow

"He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one's sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings."

2 Chronicles 21:20

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Everyday, I read my Bible. Today's Old Testament reading came from 2 Chronicles, Chapter 21.

Now I'll be honest...2 Chronicles is not THE most exciting book in the Bible, but it's in there, so I've gotta read it. Can't just skip over to "the good stuff". It's not a smorgasbord. I've gotta take it all.

Before I read my Bible, I always ask God to speak to me and show me what it is that He wants me to learn from. "Illuminate your Word, LORD" That's what I ask Him to do.

Today, I was surprised by what jumped out at me. I was reading about Jehoram and what a ruthless person he was. Because of his ruthlessness, God inflicted sickness upon him and he eventually died a long agonizing painful death.

As the NLT puts it..."Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery."

When I read that I thought, "Wow, how sad!"

It wasn't sad that no one cared about this man's death, after all, he had done some wicked things in his life, but then again, it was sad. How sad it is to live a life that no one even cares about once that life is over.

That passage of scripture just reminded me of how important it is to leave a POSITIVE lasting impression on those we leave behind. I always say that I want the lives of the people I know to be BETTER for having known me, than had they not known me at all.

I don't want the end of my life to be "to no one's sorrow". That would mean that no one cared. Or worse, that I didn't care enough about others to have them care about the loss of me.

No, when I go, I don't want people to be so sorrowful that then want to jump in "the box" with me. Last time I checked, those things are only made to fit ONE.

No. I want the people I leave behind to remember me with joy in their hearts. And I want them to say that they were BETTER for knowing me, than to have not known me at all.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever known anyone who's died and those left behind could care less?

Talk to me!

Til next time...