Does Your Life Matter?

Kathy and I recently went to Ohio to visit my mentor and his wife. Keith & Lois are very special to us. I first met Keith when I was 14 years old and he has been my mentor and spiritual father ever since.

Now in his 80's, he's struggling with the onset of dementia and this last visit showed that he is walking more slowly, a little quieter and more frail. A long way from when we use to wrestle and put each other in submission holds...one time I thought he was going to break my arm...but I wouldn't give.

On our most recent visits, Lois would have a list of things for us to do around the house and this time was no different. In fact, it was one reason we went...to encourage them both and just do what we could for them over our few days together.

I was tasked with going through boxes of Keith's things. So I began going through all kinds of resources he had collected from over 50 years of pastoral ministry. Books, binders, notebooks. I'm talking cassette tape era. I found a Bible with an inscription dated 1982; the year he left Brantford where I lived and he first impacted my life. I showed it to Keith and we reminisced about those years (thankfully he remembers most of that time). Kathy placed the Bible on his desk in his study with a note..."This goes to Dan."

I browsed a seemingly endless number of leadership and other ministry resources. I leafed through countless notes he made in margins and took time to just think about all he had done throughout his pastoral career.

It was surreal to see his decades of thoughts on paper and imagine all he did so faithfully for so many years. He impacted a lot of people.

I know from our conversations that what he struggles with most now, is that he doesn't feel productive. Most mental and physical tasks are very difficult, even reading is a challenge.

After an evening meal we had a few moments together to chat. We reminisced some more about how we met and many of the things that transpired over the years.

The truth is, I may not be around today if it wasn't for Keith. Though I made life very difficult in the beginning, he stuck with me, invested in me, and we have been like father & son now for 45 years.

Not only that, he and Lois have been Oma & Opa to our kids Megan & Alex, and now they have great grandchildren too 🤗

I took the time to remind Keith of the impact he has had on my life, that it is now multi-generational, and that I couldn't be more grateful for him and Lois. It's impossible to quantify just how much.

Keith has lived a faithful, impactful life. His life has made a difference in mine and countless others. And it serves as a reminder that you and I can live the same way.

Keith knew as a teenager that he was called to be a pastor...and that's what he did for over 50 years.

I hope that when I'm near the end of my life, that someone will be able to say, "Thank you for impacting my life."

Do you know why you are here? If not, why not?

I'm convinced this is one of the most important things we can discover for ourselves, and something I address from different perspectives on this blog.

It's also why I wrote my latest book, Vantage Point: Five Perspectives to Live a Better Story.

Download your free chapter of "Vantage Point: Five Perspectives to Live a Better Story" Click here Vantage Point

If you want more personal help, then let's chat.