"It's How I want People to Remember Me"

Laura here...


It's 2012 and with a new year, also comes new goals and a look back at what we have to be thankful for, as well as lessons we have learned.  In my reflection with the new year upon us, I have been struggling.  Struggling for peace and understanding, along with how to let go of being in control and trust...trust the plan God has in store for me and my family.

And then, Sara talked to me...I went to the one place where I knew her wisdom was still present...in her writings.

I thought it might be helpful to all of us if we took a look at Sara's Life Goals. Sara's life here on earth was lived to its fullest and she wants people to remember her through how she lived out these life goals...

1. To not be ashamed to stand before God.

"By now you've probably realized you have a distinct choice to make: just let life happen, which is tantamount to serving God your leftovers, or actively run toward Christ."

"Do you understand that it's impossible to please God in any way other than

wholehearted surrender?  ~ Francis Chan

Sara definitely wasn't afraid to stand before God here here on earth, and if I were to guess, when she met our Heavenly Father, she wasn't ashamed to stand before Him in Heaven either.  As Sara said it, "I realized that being a servant meant all or nothing. A line was drawn in the sand and I had to choose my fear, or I had to choose to completely trust Him. It was an all or nothing choice because one cannot exist if the other is true."

Sara chose to trust.  It didn't mean she didn't have extremely difficult days, but I do know that she was never fearful of what was to come, because she knew He was in control.Sara trusted His control and she was open enough to walk where he lead her.  She never missed the opportunity to be a servant to Him through the circumstances in her life.

2. To fulfill God's plan by living the best life I can with what I am given.

"We are all spiritual beings put here on earth to live out our human existence."

This is something that dad held on to and said about his life and how he was living it. In my humble opinion, Sara and dad did this very well. They were good about remembering who they were...a Spirit born in the image of Christ.

Sara wrote in one of her posts, "I have a mission. A purpose. I am here to live the best life I can with what I am given. I am here to live out this human existence as a spiritual being...a servant to God and His people... before I head back home to Him."

3. To be aware and present in every moment.

"Even though we think of our goals as some future state to achieve, the real goal is always the life of this moment, this moment, this moment." ~ Charlotte Beck

One of the things Sara said was, "just because my hands and feet no longer serve me well physically, I don’t want that to be an excuse to not be the hands and feet of God." Sometimes when our focus is living until (fill in the blank), we aren't really living... the until may never come and then we stop living all together.

I think Sara did a great job of focusing on the goal of "this life of this moment, this moment, this moment." But, she also didn't give up on her dreams in life.

4. To love what I have and not yearn for what I lack.

"It's not about me."

Sara was so great about living a life of...It's not about me. It's about what he can do with her life. She looked at the life she was blessed with as having a purpose. A purpose for others to see their life or relationship with God in a new light. "We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow."

And, that's exactly how she left this world and went to the next...with dignity, grace and teaching us all that "it's not about us."

5. To Spread the Joy, not the fear.

Joy: the unwavering trust that God knows what He’s doing and has blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of it… not despite what’s happening in my life but because of it. When everything earthly feels heavy He gives me an internal lightness that can’t be touched.



Sara made a decision early on to choose joy... and she made that choice every day. She always said, the major word in that rectangle isn't joy... it's CHOOSE. It's looking around when life is difficult and trading every complaint for something beautiful in life that far outweighs it. I know for a fact that she definitely met this goal because there are a lot of people out there that have it "etched in their skin." :)

6. To be intentional in all things.

Sara had a true belief that everything we do, no matter how big or small, it carries with it an impact. She taught us that if we come in contact with someone, we either leave them feeling better about themselves, or worse, but never unaffected. Living intentionally also brings in her 3rd goal of really being present in the moment. We need to be conscious about giving people our complete focus and leaving them knowing they are special.

For Sara, "being intentional is paying attention to what the need of the other person may be and doing my part to fulfill it." I don't know about you, but she was always there when I needed her and always made me feel special!

Sara also wanted to be intentional in being open to whatever God had in store for her. She prayed for guidance and always paid attention to the ways in which God talked to her.

Sara's life Goals were met and then some!  I miss you and love you, Sara!