What Are You Leaving for Those Who Come Behind?

The passage of Scripture below this post in 2 Peter 1 is where I have been lately.  I really love my Journible. 

 Writing the Scripture out by hand is such a good exercise and it makes me slow down and think about what I am reading.

Today I focused on verses 12-15 of this passage, but I printed the prior verses to those for context here.

The question in my Journible was for verse 15.  What are you leaving for those who come behind?  Of course Peter is talking about his death and he is being diligent to remind his readers of the Christian qualities that we need to cultivate in our lives so that we might be fruitful, so that they will remember what he has said after he has died. 

 What are you leaving for those who come behind.   It's a sobering question.

My dad has over the last several years been writing up and putting together stories from his life and family, along with some of his devotional writings.  He has been passing these things along to us.  It is a legacy of Christian service to God.  A godly testimony to the goodness and faithfulness to God in his life.  I am grateful that he has been doing this and will treasure these items.

He has been diagnosed with esophagus cancer and may have other cancers as well.  Wednesday he is going to Spokane for a procedure to insert a stint to hold his esophagus open so he can swallow better.  He has a number of other tests and doctor appointments coming up to figure out what or if he will have treatment for the cancer.  The days ahead may be difficult, but as I read his stories, I see God's hand of faithfulness through his life in difficult times and I know that God will see us through the days ahead, giving us all strength to keep our faith in Him.

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral [g]excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten hispurification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of myearthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.