Unless you live on the moon, you have heard of the passing of Michael Jackson. When his memorial was held, thousands of people watched and bought tickets to be a part of it. It was a media frenzy. There were cameras everywhere interviewing people with tickets who held them like newborn babies afraid of dropping them. It was sad in so many ways.
There is a short story at the end of Acts chapter 9 about a disciple named Tabitha (Dorcas). This story usually gets swallowed up by the story of Saul's conversion, but it is, in my opinion, the more powerful of the two stories.
Dorcas was a woman who got it. She cared for her neighbors. The Scripture reads that she was always doing charitable works. When she became ill and died, Peter was called to come. This is where the story gets good. Peter showed up and all the widows came to him wearing the clothes that Dorcas had made for them.
There was no media frenzy, there were no kings, princes, or rulers at her deathbed, there was no one of worldly esteem there...just those whom Dorcas cared for. Thats it. She lived a life more worthy of a media frenzy than any star or starlet. She got it. She lived out her faith in a way that literally put clothes on peoples backs. And she couldn't run the local thrift store to buy used t-shirts for 65 cents and think she was doing people a favor, she had to make these clothes. Thread by thread she shared the love of Christ.
Who will be at your deathbed when you pass? Will people outside your family know? Will they care? Will you be missed? Will anyone be there that you helped clothe? Helped find Christ?
What do you want on your tombstone?
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