WHEN IT'S ALL BEEN SAID AND DONE

The desire for personal ‘fame’ is greater now than ever. In fact, it seems that no one wants to slip through ‘unnoticed’.

Do we link ‘fame’ with acceptance? Maybe it’s because we think that only the ‘noteworthy’ count.

Whatever the reason, in a world where most people desire ‘fame’ more than anything else, I was delighted to read about Gordon Phillips in my most recent university alumni magazine.

You know the kind of reading…articles of alumni doing interesting things…and then a column sandwiched somewhere between the covers with short snapshots submitted by each graduate. I read through looking for someone I might know, and didn’t find any. (not sure what this says about my class...but...)  For the most part, these entries involve three areas: career, publication, and awards.

Here is a sampling:

1. assignment as political counselor to the Canadian High Commission
2. appointed Judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta
3. presented his school’s work at the International Conference on Learning in Barcelona, Spain, last year and has co-authored five textbooks
4. chairman of the Calgary Police Commission
5. contributed a short story to the anthology evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead. It’s the first anthology of its kind and her story can be found on page 101

But, back to Gordon Phillips, who painted a very different picture:

Gordon Phillips, BSc’69, has received no awards, honorary or otherwise. He has been granted no titles and belongs to no major organizations. He has never been elected or appointed to any position. You will probably not have read anything that he has written. He lives in Vancouver with his patient wife Diane and some of their five children, practices law and is as happy as a clam.

A huge grin  broke out on my face; Gordon Phillilps, you made my day.  Thank you for this breath of fresh air. Thank you for validating the lives of countless others who, too, are happy as clams, despite their lack of awards, publications, and the noteworthy career movement.

But then, I thought about what really does matter.  It isn't awards, publications, or careers.  But it isn't just being 'happy as a clam' either.  So I turned to God's word: 

“The Lord says: Let not the wise man bask in his wisdom,

nor the mighty man in his might, nor the rich man in his riches.

Let them boast in this alone:

That they truly know me,

and understand that I am the Lord of justice and of righteousness

whose love is steadfast;

and that I love to be this way.”

Jeremiah 10: 23,24

Indeed, when all is said and done, only one thing matters.
Click on the play button on "Joey's Tunes" at the top of the page, to listen to Robin Mark as he shares…

When it's all been said and done,
there is just one thing that matters:
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for You?

When it's all been said and done,
all my treasures will mean nothing.
Only what I've done for love's reward
will stand the test of time.

Lord, Your mercy is so great
that You look beyond our weakness,
and find purest gold in miry clay,
making sinners into saints

I will always sing Your praise
here on earth and ever after.
For You've shown me Heaven's my true home,
When it's all been said and done.

You're my life when life is gone.

When it's all been said and done,
there is just one thing that matters:
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for You?

Lord I'll live my life for You.