This past Sunday was the Celebration of Life service for Ray Labbe, a longtime friend of our church and one of the missionaries we have supported through his work with Isaiah 58.  The writer of Ecclesiastes writes in 7:2 that “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man.”  Even though this wasn’t technically a funeral, the point remains that there is much to be learned from reflecting on our own mortality and evaluating how we are living in the light of that.  When we consider how we would like to be remembered at the end of our lives, and more importantly how we will be judged by our God when we meet him, we often recognize what really matters in our life.

I was able to record the last hour of the memorial service, which included mostly testimonies from people who knew Ray on the impact he left on their life, and I have added the audio at the end of this entry.  I would encourage you to listen to the testimonies if you weren’t able to attend the service, so that you can get an idea of how God used this man to make a difference in so many lives, and hopefully be inspired to allow God to do the same in your life. 

My favorite moment came when Ray’s daughter Robin shared about the legacy he had left on her life.  She talked about how well he understood grace, that all was a gift to be grateful for, undeserved blessings from a God who owed us nothing.  Robin said that she learned that “Gratitude isn’t a glass half full/half empty thing.  It’s ‘oh my God, there’s a glass!  And I’m dying of thirst!  And I just cursed out the glass company!!!’”  That is true gratitude, recognizing what we deserve before a Holy God and truly coming to appreciate His undeserved grace towards us.  I’ve never heard it expressed with such a combination of truth and humor.

I’ve already expressed the legacy Ray left in my life in two previous Pulses, February 24th, 2009 and December 12th, 2008, and you can read both of those on the blog.  For now, take to heart the words of Ecclesiastes 7:2, and reflect on how you are living.  Ray always said that he wanted to live in such a way that when he met Jesus, he would hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).  May we all live in a way that will bring us that ultimate joy of knowing that we have pleased our Father in heaven.

Play

Write a comment