Honor

All we wanted was some French fries. Okay, actually McDonald’s was calling us loudly, and we were listening! We got off the highway using an exit I’d never taken before, and before long we were directed off the road that should have taken us right to our golden-arched destination. Thankfully I don’t get too weirded out by unexpected detours. You never know what you may find on an exploring adventure around a town you’ve never been in before!

So today we went exploring. After a few minutes, a few turns and a few blocks later, we found ourselves across the street from the reason for the detour… a funeral for a well-known retired fire fighter. The International Association of Fire Fighters calls him “a legend” on their website. I wish I could have taken a picture of the hundreds of fire fighters and policemen lining the road to pay their respects to a fellow public servant. A number of city buses were even in on the proceedings, using their message boards to honor him with “Rest in Peace.”

I never knew the man, but I was humbled to even witness the honor he received in death. It also made me wonder. Did he know how many lives he had influenced? Did others tell him in life how he had impacted them for the better? It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing there’s always tomorrow to thank someone for their sacrifice, service, or high standard. Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. Why not do it today?
“Give everyone what you owe him… if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor” (Romans 13:7).