06/04/2026
The Power of a Picture
As I walked through the church this week during VBS, I passed a small picture sitting on a table near the exit where the kids head outside for recreation. To most people, it may have just looked like another photograph. To me, it stopped me in my tracks.
Last year, I lost someone who had become one of my very best friends to a sudden heart attack.
This week felt especially different because VBS fell immediately after the annual golf trip he had organized for so many years—a trip that we now continue in his memory. It was impossible not to think about him.
For years, he was the recreation guy during VBS. He absolutely loved it. He loved seeing kids laugh. He loved seeing them run, compete, and have fun. Every year he would spend days dreaming up games, building props, gathering supplies, and preparing activities that most people would never realize took so much work.
The truth is, he was probably the biggest kid on the playground.
His joy was contagious. His smile was constant. His spirit was cheerful because he genuinely loved serving others.
The picture on that table was one of him doing exactly what he loved—smiling, playing games, and pouring himself into the lives of children.
As I walked by, I felt the sadness that naturally comes when someone you love is no longer here. But what surprised me was that the sadness wasn’t the strongest emotion.
It was gratitude.
I was grateful that God allowed our paths to cross.
Grateful for the conversations, the laughs, the memories, and the example he left behind.
Grateful that his life was the kind of life that still impacts people even after he is gone.
That little picture reminded me of something important: every one of us is leaving something behind.
One day, someone will tell stories about us.
One day, someone will remember the way we treated people.
One day, our children, grandchildren, church family, coworkers, and friends will reflect on the impact our lives had on theirs.
The question isn’t whether we’ll leave a legacy.
The question is what kind of legacy we’ll leave.
Will people remember our accomplishments, or will they remember our character?
Will they remember what we accumulated, or will they remember how we served?
Will they remember a life consumed with self, or a life poured out for Christ and others?
Paul wrote:
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
My friend’s picture reminded me that a life lived for Jesus leaves footprints long after the journey ends.
It made me want to finish well.
It made me want to serve joyfully.
It made me want to love people deeply.
It made me want my life to point people toward Christ.
Because when my picture is someday sitting on a table and my story is being told, I hope people don’t simply remember what I did.
I hope they remember that I loved Jesus, loved people, and found joy in serving both.
The power of a picture is that it can bring back a memory.
The power of a faithful life is that it can continue pointing people to Christ long after the picture is all that’s left.
