How We Are Remembered

“The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.”  Proverbs 10:7   In his book “A Look at Life from a Deer Stand”, Steve Chapman tells this story:  “A little boy said to his grandpa, “Granddad, make a sound like a frog.”  His grandfather was sort of a rough old fellow and bluntly denied his grandson’s request.  However, the boy was not about to be refused.

“Please, Granddad, make a sound like a frog!”  “No,” came the old man’s grouchy reply.  “Oh, please, Granddaddy, make a sound like a frog.”  Exasperated with the little guy’s persistence, the granddad asked, “Why?”  “Cause Grandma says, ‘When Grandpa croaks, we can all go to Six Flags!’”

“It sounds like the grandpa had built a less-than-favorable reputation for himself.  His legacy had apparently been established, and the assumption was that he would never change.  This story makes me want to work on my memory.  By that I don’t mean my brain’s ability to recall; rather, on how I will be remembered in the minds of others.  May it never be that my wife, my children, grandchildren, or friends would ever grimace at the mention of my name.

According to Proverbs 10:7, the key to creating a memory that brings smiles to the faces of those around us is to allow righteousness to reign in our hearts.  On the other hand, if we want our names to leave the taste of rottenness in the mouths of those who say them in the future, then all we have to do is embrace wickedness.  Things that rot are eventually forgotten completely; they disappear into oblivion.  However, Psalms 112:6 honors those who choose God’s way with a lasting legacy:  ‘For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever.’

A good goal for life would be that should the day arrive when we become grandparents, we will never hear any of our grandchildren say, ‘Granddad, make a sound like a frog.’”