You ever been torn up by events in your life? Or your community?
On February 10, 2016 for the first time since 1899, Harford County(MD) had a sheriff’s deputy killed by gun fire while on the job. And not just one deputy, but two.
Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey, a 30-year veteran, and Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon, a 16-year veteran were killed in an encounter with an armed suspect at a local Panera Bread.
The whole County has been shaken but we have rallied together to be #HarfordStrong.
What really hit home to me was that second deputy (DFC Mark Logsdon) was just a year older than me. He had three kids (like me). It made me start wondering what my life really means.
I had opportunity to watch a portion of his funeral service on TV an it was mentioned that people from all over the world heard about his death and were sending in their condolences. This man influenced people in the Caribbean, Canada, as a far away as Marines stationed over in Baghdad.
I was thinking his life, though cut short, impacted so many.
Living To Be Remembered
I wonder what my impact has been or will be. For years, I would pray as I laid in bed that I’d have a “It’s A Wonderful Life” moment or experience. For those that haven’t seen that great movie, George Bailey is given a gift to see what his world would have been like, if he had not been born. After seeing the impact he had, he realizes just how wonderful of a life he has.
Since I’ve never had that dream or vision, I often wonder what impact have I had and what would be said at my funeral?
Am I living the life I want to be remembered by?
I know yesterday I didn’t. Between struggling with things in my past and dealing with the county coming in, shutting off our water unexpectedly to fix a water main issue, and then having one of their workers throw a cigarette butt in my yard, I was NOT the person I wanted to be.
The good news is that I can make a change.
Life Imitating Star Wars
I was thinking about the sacrificial deaths of main characters in Star Wars.
In A New Hope, we see the sacrificial death of Ben Kenobi. He is willing to sacrifice himself so that Luke and company could escape the Death Star.
In A Phantom Menace, we see Obi Wan battling along side of Qui-Gon Jinn against Darth Maul. They were there because the whole “Duel of Fates” started when they were trying to help Queen Amidala and the Naboo Security Force take back the palace.
The hangar door opens and there stand an intimidating figure and the Jedi calmly state that they will handle it. They didn’t know who they were getting ready to battle or what was going to happen.
Much like the two deputies. When Deputy Dailey showed up, it was in response to a call about someone that should not be in the Panera Bread. As he sat down to talk with this man, the man pulled out a gun and shot him point blank.
When Deputy Logsdon responded to the shooting, he was shot protecting the public at large and other officers in the area.
In The Force Awakens we see the death of Han Solo.
Before his death, we see how others remembered or knew about Han.
To Finn, Han Solo was a general in the Rebellion. To Rey, he was a smuggler (who did the Kessel run in 14 parsecs- 12!)
Han Solo was known as different things to different people based on how he impacted them. We will need to wait for the new movies to come out to see how he is remembered in the Star Wars universe.
Sacrifice
The real life sacrifice of Senior Deputy Dailey and Deputy First Class Logsdon need to be remembered. Their families will need our prayers and support for a very long time.
While their sacrifices (and other law enforcement officers and armed service members) are real, many people have never felt the personal sting of these sacrifices.
For those that have been fortunate to not have experienced this pain, we can remember the sacrifice that all three made in the Star Wars movies.
Did you notices there is a major character that dies making a sacrifice in the first film of all the trilogies?
We have Ben in A New Hope (Original trilogy), Qui-Gon in A Phantom Menace (Prequel trilogy), and now Han in the beginning of the newest trilogy.
How Will You Be Remembered
So what is your life going to be remembered by?
I challenge you to write out what you want your eulogy to say.
What do you want on your grave stone?
How are you living that out now? Are you living that out now? If not, why not?
We can start today.
