For the last twenty years Ed Weihenmayer wrote a Lenten Meditation for the Chapel. In them he shared his beliefs about life and faith. Let me share some of his convictions.In 2001 he wrote about being raised in a household in which he was taught to use all the talents that God had given him and so fulfill God’s promise for his life and be the best he could be. He told the story of Erik who struggled with what he was going to do with his life until he was exposed to rock climbing at camp. He found that he could realize his God-given potential to encourage students and athletes to have the courage to reach for their dreams as well. Each of us has the capability to impact positively in God’s world. He asked, “What is your legacy going to be? Are you being the best you can be?

In 2010 he wrote that funerals are life-building experiences for him. They led him to think about his life, priorities, possibilities and legacy. They help him to grow as a person in Christ. He quoted one of his favorite verses: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim.4:7) “Paul put on the spiritual armor of Christ each morning and expended himself in doing the Lord’s work. Be an inspiring example of Christian living. Each funeral nudges me in the direction of devoting more of my life more faithfully to Christ. I feel that God is speaking directly to me about how best to live the rest of my life.”

He wrote, “I want to consecrate my life to Jesus, to move my life closer to the way He would want me to live. I want to serve my fellow human beings, especially those in spiritual or material need; rededicate my life to my family; make an extra effort to bring the Word to friends who do not know Christ; become a fisher of men; study the Word so that I may become a better evangelist; and prioritize my life with Jesus and his hopes for me in mind.”

In 2011 he wrote about the dilemma of the atheist who has no one to thank for his many blessings. “What a huge loss of pleasure not to be able to thank the One who has made everything possible for us in life, who has provided for us beyond our needs, who has comforted us in times of distress, forgiven us when we have sinned, brought salvation to us when we don’t deserve it. The heart of a Christian cries out in gratitude to God. I am thankful I have someone to thank for my bountiful blessings.”

Ed loved that the Chapel supported so many Outreach ministries. He said, “through them we help to change the eternities of those who hear the Good News and come to believe that Jesus is their Savior.” He told the story of Will whom he met through Kairos Prison Ministry who was serving a life sentence for a death that happened in his teens. Will came to Christ and became a productive member of society walking on a path set by God. “We have lived lives that offered advantages that Will never experienced. We are created in Christ to do good works which God has prepared for us to do.”

Ed was concerned about the cultural drift from all things Christian. He quoted the hymn, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross.” Do we mean it? He believed that we are a nation founded on Christian beliefs. He was passionate about the National Day of Prayer. One of his favorite verses was Ps.33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” He participated in two early morning Bible studies and prayer meetings each week. He asked: “Do we celebrate Christmas or just holidays? Do the Chapel Outreach gifts go to charities that host the Christian banner over their endeavors? Are we standing up for Jesus, or are we part of the problem, sitting by and doing nothing?”

In 2016 he quoted Rom.14:8 “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” “I think often about how I will face death when it finally comes. Can you ever be absolutely sure how you are going to face dying before it really comes? I have seen believers, who are suffering in their final days, with smiles on their faces, lifting up everyone around them, because they know where they have been and where they are going. I want to be one of them. I pray I will be one of them.

I am continually thanking God for all the blessings I have received in my life. I often go over them one by one, thinking about each blessing and its impact on my life. Yes, there have been tragedies, but my blessings far outweigh the setbacks – and that is what I want to remember. My hope is that when I am at that door, I will be truly thanking God for my life and its many blessings. I will be looking forward to joining Him and Jesus, family and friends in His Kingdom, confident that Jesus paid for my sins with his blood and sacrifice. I take comfort in the words from my favorite hymn, The Old Rugged Cross.”

He thought deeply about  the central Christian message of love and vowed to be more loving in his life – towards his neighbors, toward aggressive drivers, toward those of different political and social persuasions, toward those who had offended him, toward those in need who do not try to help themselves. His last meditation this year was on love as described in 1 Cor.13 and the hymn “They will know we are Christians by our love.” He concluded with the admonition to us: “Christians should try harder to be known by our love. What a wonderful world it would be.”

He loved Edgar Guest’s poem, “Don’t Quit”:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

When you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit –

Rest if you must, but don’t quit.

 

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –

You may succeed with another blow.

 

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor’s cup;

And he learned too late when the night went down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

 

Success is failure turned inside out –

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –

It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

When Abner, the commander of the army of Israel was killed in battle, King David said to his men, “Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?” When such men died suddenly, the people wept and lamented their passing. We can do no less. It is not that we are sad for them, but we grieve for our loss. We shall miss this prince of a man. He has fallen asleep in Jesus who welcomed him with the words: “Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness!” (Matt.25:21)