In Honor Of...

In honor of Veterans Day this week I thought I would dust off an old blog post on Leaving on a High Note:

No, not the George Costanza showmanship scheme of leaving: Make a funny comment in an office meeting, if everyone laughs exit quickly, then your assured of going out on a high note. This is more about leaving for that great mansion in the sky.

A couple of weeks ago Hall of Fame baseball announcer Harry Kallas passed away. He had been calling games for over 45 years. Harry died in the broadcast booth just a half hour before calling the Phillies game. Harry was 73 years old, loved the game, and didn't want to retire. But I think he went out the way he probably would've wanted to: in the booth at the ballpark.

Unfortunately we don't have a choice of how or when we leave, only where we leave to.

I was recently on an airplane for the first time in awhile. As the stewardess went through all the precautionary safety procedures, I, like probably so many others, didn't really pay much attention. I was aware of the drill but did not care.

There was a time in my life when I was afraid of dying, sure, I knew I was going to heaven, but somehow I still had that fear of exiting. Since my extended growth in the Lord that fear has completely disappeared.

If I had a choice of how I would like to go out, my high note would be just leaving knowing that I exemplified Jesus the best way possible.

One of my favorite holidays is Memorial Day, when we honor those who served our country in the military. All those men and women who were lost in battle, they left on a high note, doing what they were called to do.

I fondly remember a woman who would come into the music store every Friday to buy soundtracks to sing in church. She loved to sing about Jesus. Then all of a sudden she stopped coming in. Through a mutual acquantance I discovered why she stopped singing: At a Good Friday service she sang a duet with the music director. After the first verse of the song, the gentleman she was singing with fell over and died right there in front of the whole church.

The music director exited for heaven doing what he loved best and was called to do. As for the woman who stopped singing, after a few months and much prayer from many people, she came back into the store and continued on with her passion of singing unto the Lord. My guess is she would probably want to go out the same way as her music director, singing unto the Lord.

So, what's your exit strategy?

The only exit strategy any of us should be concerned with is our destination. And, did we exemplify Jesus to the fullest.

The reason we recognize and celebrate memorial holdays for our armed forces is so we never forget that freedom comes with a cost.Those that serve have taken up the oath of: life or death, I will serve and protect. And I am so thankful to those that made that honorable choice to protect our freedom, they are much more worthy of leaving on a high note than I am.

And to them I say, "Thank You."