The greatest use of life

Now more than ever, I understand just how finite life is.  It must be a symptom of getting older.  As I drive home to Tennessee, I often see old abandoned barns off in the distance , or even old homes that have fallen into disarray.  It's strange to think that a family once lived in these homes.  Big dreams once flourished in these places.  Now there is no hope.  I am sure that most people zoom by in their cars while traveling the highway and don't think twice about what once was.  I often wonder about the families that once lived there.  What were they like? What kind of man was he? What kind of woman was she? What were their hopes? Did they have children? Why did they move? Where did they go to?

My dad used to have a little plaque at the top of the basement stairs that read, " The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that outlasts it."  As I drive past these places that were left to fall to the ground for one reason or another, I know that the people, the offspring, most likely survived.  Did these people build a family that outlasted these physical premises?  Did they build a lagacy or a heritage that stands strong and firm against the winds of time? Did the man of the house build a legacy that stood or fell?  Am I building a heritage that will stand or fall? What kind of man am I?  How can we become what we so deeply need to be?

Stu Weber wrote a book entitled, The Four Pillars of a Man's Heart. Weber says we need to be:

• A man of vision and character - a  King
• A man of strength and power - a Warrior
• A man of faith and wisdom - a Mentor
• A man of heart and love - a Friend

I am certain that the physical homes and buildings that we work so hard to create will not last. If life is to mean anything, if we are to live life for something that outlasts it, we must build people.