Wealthy.

"The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in very much. If then you haven't been trustworthy handling world wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches?" 

- Luke 16:10-11 

We would all like to believe our cause is a noble one. We look to the world to tell us that it is. We look to our friends, whom have had the similar interests, or to family from which our interests have been raised, for them to tell us, "Yea, good job." When in the end, what matters is the progress of your wealth for others, not yourself.

In July there was a death. An uncle. A military man, retired. His name was Mike. His funeral was yesterday, five days after what would have been his 72nd birthday, a service I was fortunate enough to have seen pictures, videos, witness second-hand, the military burial at Arlington National Cemetery. I performed those same funeral specifics. I have done what those men did, carried the casket, held the flag, folded the flag, presented the flag even. That much I am familiar. However, what I am not familiar with was being on the receiving end. My aunt was. She, my uncle's grown children, and step child, my aunt's son, were there. They were right up front. The service men, took the folded flag, all blue and white on the outside, for only stars should show, bent down on one knee, presented, saluted, shook hands, and left. That is the detail. In its coldness it is professional, depicting what my uncle Mike would have wanted, in a place, Arlington National Cemetery, that he would have felt honored.

Mike was an uncle, who married my mom's sister Linda. I am not going to write about my intimate relationship with Mike because we lived far away from each other, and his strict abruptness, I mistook as a child as "mean." It is only in adulthood, that I came to appreciate from a distance, the discipline this man brought. A soft sternness as he was directed to do in his Navy career, a career he retired from. A career from my understanding that may have given him the last few years where he was bound to a scooter. No matter though. This is what he signed upon for. He knew the risks, he never claimed anything was owed to him. He never claimed that the world had a debt to pay. Instead, he used his platform and spoke with such conviction, a child, a soft child, me, mistook as anger, or contempt. Even despite the fact, he always opened his home to me, even when I was an adolescent, self-centered kid whom never allowed any of this to matter. The pictures linger of the Santa Clause he played so well, a jolly/sarcastic Santa at that, the best version.

I was given wealth here. I was given a person in my life that offered insight, a manner in which to live, that I discounted as, "mean" because he didn't handle me with the kid gloves I was used to. There was so much I could have learned, so many more stories I could have listened to, so many more questions to ask, but no, I squandered.

He lived, he has died, but according to the most recent discussions with my aunt, he had turned his life to Christ, therefore he lives more now than any of us who morn. The life of conviction, his own for much of it, was a wealth that was given to him and one he used appropriately. He had his opinions, but you knew where he stood. He was contrary to wishy-washy, his convictions were solid in principle. Foundations he fought for and I have no doubt he would have laid his life to protect. A slave to his beliefs that is missing in cultures today.

 

The wealth of a man who spent accordingly. However, I don't know his internal self, I can only give you here what I perceived, what I have been told, and what I have experienced as a child. Yet, Mike was not one for games, not one to "put up a front" or "play favorites." His beliefs were not for his own gain, but for the gain of others.

Hearing he gave his life to Christ means an eternity in heaven, the greatest gift. Hearing that he lived, until his dying day, with his beliefs, unwavering, all driven selflessly, for the gain of others, was a life of a Christ-follower all along. He just had to recognize that the gifts he was given where done so by a Father whom he had to acknowledge.

Wealth, body image, accomplishments, accolades, attention, sex, drugs, kids even, kid's accomplishments, property, knowledge, insight, love, food, clean water, promotions at work, when you look at the wealth and what we are given to ensure that you will be trusted with more later on, use it to benefit others. It serves no purpose to gain, any of it, knowledge included, for yourself. This isn't a "Christian" message, though the principals are deeply embedded in the word of Christ, however this is a message for life and beyond. This is a message of insight to remember that you might surround yourself with people like you, promoting wealth and glorifying the justified noble cause, like that is our purpose here, but it is all going to go away when you die, then what? Give to get, give because we love. Give Because we were given. Mike did and for that I salute him.

God Bless.