• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Stephen M. Miller

Award-Winning, Bestselling Christian Author

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Blog Features
  • Bible
  • Contact
Painting/photo of Jerusalem Temple-Casual English Bible

Dead, what do you want to leave behind?

Stephen M. Miller
woman in burial clothes
RIP. All good things come to an end. Us included. Of course, we Christians count on the resurrection. But do we give enough thought to what we’ll leave behind? Photo by Nastassia Davis / flickr.

WHEN YOUR CARBON CRUMBLES and your casket lies locked in the dirt, what will be left of you here?

I’ve been wondering about that lately. Not that I have plans to crumble anytime soon. But I do have family and friends who are living life fragile these days. Diagnoses that shatter.

One thing that bums me is how fleeting our influence seems to be.

Take John Wayne. Biggest movie star of my childhood. My kids don’t even know him.

So go ahead, pick your favorite star today. Then imagine the probability that the next generation of swimmers in your gene pool won’t know that soul from a reality show dropout.

If a star that shines that bright can fade to black so quickly, what about us little ol’ lightning bugs?

One reason I write is to capture light and wrap it up in a word. Yet words are just flickers in the night, more often than not.

When I was younger, I used to write songs and accompany them with a guitar, as private devotions. And when our kids were babies, I’d make up songs to sing to them. Recently I’ve actually taken the time to record them. Privately. I mean, for heaven’s sake, I’m a singer best kept in the choir and not turned loose on a microphone. Yet I feel a need to preserve the songs before they’re lost.

I can’t imagine why. If you heard them, you’d wonder why, too.

What’s going on here? Is it a remnant of the image of God?

“Do this to remember me,” (Luke 22:10). That’s Jesus talking at the Last Supper.

Even he wanted to leave something of himself behind. That’s how we Christians got what is perhaps our most sacred worship ritual, known by various names: communion, Mass, the Eucharist.

I want to leave something of myself behind, too. Something good and godly.

I can’t believe my music will endure. I’d have to publish it first, and that’s not going to happen. So relax.

As for my books, I can’t imagine they would endure even though they’re published. I write, on purpose, in a style of English that is contemporary and fleeting. Even Shakespeare goes out of style for normal people (English teachers are so not normal).

I’m not sure those are legacies I’d most prefer to leave behind anyhow.

When my crumbled carbon lies cold and still, probably wearing a suit though I spurn them while I breathe, I think the legacy I’d most prefer to leave behind would be a collection of scenes I’d want to watch from heaven, if I’m allowed to peek.

It might come as a surprise to you, as it did to me when I started thinking about it, but a scene of someone reading one of my books doesn’t even make my Top Ten.

What I’d like to see even more:

  • If children are in the future of my kids, I’d love to see my daughter singing to a child of hers like I used to sing to her. But in the right key.
  • Or my son going to every ballgame and ball practice and band concert and everything else his kids get into.
  • Or the family I’ve left behind enjoying the company of one another.
  • And, from time to time, someone looking up at me and saying, “I miss you.”

The wake behind my trail.

I’d be long gone, but still shaking things up, ever so slightly.

I’d like that.

Bible Gateway Blogger Grid Member

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...
View All Posts - Ordered by Most Recent First
« Previous
Next »

About Stephen M. Miller

STEPHEN M. MILLER is an award winning bestselling Christian author of easy-reading books about the Bible and Christianity and author of the Casual English Bible® paraphrase. His books have sold over two million copies and include The Complete Guide to the Bible and Who’s and Where’s Where in the Bible.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

Casual English Bible Website

Featured Book

Complete Guide to the Bible

Complete Guide to the Bible
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Books-A-Million
Buy from Christian Book Distributor
Buy from Google Play

Latest Posts

  • When our faith glitches May 5, 2025
  • Job is the right book for me now April 16, 2025
  • Q for AI: “Do most scholars say Jesus never existed?” April 3, 2025

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog Features
  • Books
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 · Stephen M. Miller · All Rights Reserved

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Reject AllAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
%d