I've told many people who have offered their condolences for my Uncle Bob's passing that he is just fine, but I am grateful for their prayers for our family. We are the ones that will need continued prayer in the days ahead as we continue to miss him. I've told many people about his steadfast dedication to God and his great desire to share as much as possible. This wasn't just a show for him either, but was something firmly ingrained in his spirit. There were two stories that I heard on Friday that confirmed his character and the depth of his commitment.
A woman who attended church with him and was a good friend shared that she had visited him in the hospital in his last hours. My uncle Bob had prayed for her family on many occasions and specifically for her brother. As she got up to leave the hospital room my uncle pulled his oxygen mask away to stop her and asked how her brother was doing. In his moments of difficult breathing and nearing the end of his life, he was still concerned for other people.
I also heard the story of his interaction with his hospice nurse. She was going over the details of the palliative care and what he could expect as his body continued to slowly shut down. At one point he reached out to touch her hand and again took extra energy and breath to ask her about her own relationship with Jesus. He wanted to make sure that she had heard the good news of Christ even in his last moments.
I'm not sharing these stories to brag about my uncle (well, maybe a little) but to point out what it means to be deeply passionate and committed. Even when his own health was failing he made sure to take the time to care for other people. His personal circumstances didn't change who he was at heart.
Can the same be said about us? What are we deeply passionate about? Are we willing to maintain the commitment to living that out even when our own circumstances are poor? This intense consistency marks the difference between temporary focus and real passion.
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