Tuesday, October 1, 2019

A Most Bizarre Assignment

A Most Bizarre Assignment 

Some of my counseling clients asked me to hold a Woman’s Workshop

“Are there specific concerns you’d like me to address?” 


“Yes, we’ve made a list of our main concerns.”

Near the end of the seminar I handed out an assignment. “After you’ve completed this, we’ll discuss it.  This may help you more than anything else we’ve covered today.”


Startled by the strange assignment the women seemed to freeze-lock when they saw that word.  The assignment said, “Write Your Obituary As Though You Died Today.”

As they hesitantly tried to write most kept pausing with puzzled faces.  Not like they didn’t know how to write, they didn’t know what to say.  It was a stunning incident.

Gina bursting into tears confessed, “I’ve said terrible things to my husband for cheating on me.  Last month,” … she choked up, “I told him I hoped he rotted in Hell forever.”

Following her lead a couple more of the women said, “I feel so guilty for what I’ve done.”

I said, “Let’s pray for healing.   Then let’s focus on finishing your obituaries.”

A hush came over the room as they continued trying to write how they might, in deed, be remembered when they passed on.

In the quiet my mind wandered to a person who read his own obituary while still alive.  Do you know who it was?

Alfred Nobel, sipping coffee and chewing on a biscuit, was shocked to read that he had died the night before.  The erroneous article written in 1888 appeared in a French newspaper.  A man named Nobel had died last night, but it was Ludvid, Alfred’s brother.  But the obituary was horrible.

What he read horrified him: The newspaper described him as “Alfred Nobel ~ The merchant of death is dead.”  It continued, “He was a man who had made it possible to kill more people more quickly than anyone else who had ever lived.”

At that moment, Alfred realized two things: that this was how he was going to be remembered, and that this was not how he wanted to be remembered.

“It pained him so much he never forgot it,” says Kenne Fant in Alfred Nobel: A Biography, and the insatiable inventor “became so obsessed with his posthumous reputation” that he would not rest until he had crafted “a cause upon which no future obituary writer would be able to cast aspersions.”

The facts are that Alfred was a brilliant chemist and had 255 patents for his creative inventions.  Among other things, Nobel invented dynamite and nitroglycerin.  He stated his purpose was for the explosives to be used to remove highway, bridge and building obstacles.  “Pulverize those boulders.”

Scheming war mongers, betrayed his wishes.  They had ungodly evil plans of using his destructive explosives to maim and kill countless people and hungered for the fortunes awaiting them.

Yes, Alfred had amassed his fortune by producing explosives.  But when he read that he was known as “The merchant of death” he spent his remaining 8 years turning his life around 180 degrees.  I don’t doubt history contains biographies of many who improved their reputations.  But Alfred’s turnaround was more than incredible.

Nobel set out to ensure that his name would forever be tied to humankind’s highest achievements, and not its destructive potential.  But having been burned by the true merchants of death he wrote, “I intend to leave after my death a large fund for the promotion of the peace idea, but I am skeptical as to its results.”

His promotion of peace plan was to reward one prize to the international winner (Nobel Laureate) in each of the 6 categories out of which all are given each year.  They are awarded for outstanding contributions for humanity in chemistry, economics, literature, peace, physics, or physiology or medicine.

To insure he would be forever remembered as a Philanthropist he scribbled a handwritten will stating that his fund should be invested and the resultant interest be used for paying for the prizes. The fund itself was to remain intact.  The large fund he left totaled SEK 31.5 million Krones which equaled $191,205,000.00 in his time.  Today that fund has more than doubled.



 
  Alfred Bernhard Nobel


          Nobel Peace Medal

The Nobel Prizes come with a diploma, a medal, and a cash award. Each medallion has a different appearance.  The one above is the Nobel Laureate Medal for Peace.  Each year the Nobel Foundation decides on the cash prize awarded to each Nobel laureate.  The cash prize is 8 million SEK (about US $1.1 million dollars).

If you were to write your obituary right now what would it say?

Pondering how your obituary is going to read ought to cause the deepest reflection.  If you had a moment to change each regret ~ what would they be?   Unforgiveness?  Selfishness?  Greediness? Pride?  Unfaithfulness?  Neglectful?  Abusive?  Dishonest? Procrastinator?  Addiction?  Hypocrisy?

Sobering isn’t it.

I’ve never heard any Eulogy which used these remembrances.  Never.

A call to someone who is lonely, a listening ear to a person in need, long walks with our children, saying thank you to a spouse, forgiving others, compassionate, loving, cheerful, helping the homeless, widows and those in grief and being true to God is how we want to be remembered.  This is the character marrow of a life well lived.




A wise person was once asked, “Exactly how much did Howard Hughes or John Rockefeller leave?”  He answered, “He left it all.”


So will I, and so will you.

None of us are guaranteed the next breath in their lungs.  Living people die every day.  Some pass unexpectedly.  It will then be too late to change their obituary.

Why not take one moment in time to turn your regrets into blossoming memories.


One Moment In Time
Whitney Houston




                            
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7 comments:

  1. Nancy Ellis
    "I read this post just now and it is outstanding. Is there a copy of this that i could get without the pictures, ? I would like to read it in our church service sometime.

    Your stories are awesome and excellent. They really give a person a lot of thought to think about.

    Thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Nancy

      YES! I will attach a copy with the text only. Feel free to use it anyway you wish. Your encouragement and warm cheer are SO meaningful to me.
      Remember the old adage, "You made my day," is absolutely true of you, Nancy. I thank the Lord for
      you and your faithful partner.

      In His Praise
      Larry

      Delete
  2. Anna P
    I really enjoyed the article and shared it with my family.
    Congratulations on your site. It is beautiful, and I am sure a LOT of people will benefit from it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank You Ana. Honoring God is most exciting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Peggy
    PeggyAnn Pierce Smith
    "You must read this! It is so thought-provoking!"

    ReplyDelete