The following is to remind us that leaving a legacy doesn’t just happen. May we be men who are building Godly families.
Recently my wife’s parents moved out of their home of many years. In sorting through their files, they came across the typewritten, hand-edited letter in the picture. This letter was from Miriam’s grandfather, Lubertus “Bert” Hoeksema, who intended them to read it on the day of his funeral. He went to be with the Lord in 1990, and it is clear from the dates these thoughts were on his mind for many years.
Reading it made me thankful for the godly family into which I married, and for the faith and prayers of this humble laborer that span generations of time. I reproduce it here with only slight edits.
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To my dear beloved Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren,
What thoughts went through your minds today when you have viewed my earthly remains for the last time? My last prayer in your behalf has been offered. May they follow you to the end of your days is my last and earnest prayer. I dearly loved and thanked God for each one of you and so did mother. My GREATEST REGRET is that I did not display or reveal it more (Eph. 6:4). Mother’s prayers have followed us, I know. (Heb. 11:4b; Mark 14:8a; Phil. 4:19) My parting advice is: meditate much in the Word of God, pray without ceasing, listen to His voice, and let Him do the talking. (Jos. 1:8, I Cor. 13, Num. 32:23b, Mat. 6:33, Rom 6:23, Rom. 8:1, Isa. 1:18, John 17:24, I Cor. 15, I Thess. 4:13-18)
While we are separated the one from the other I know God will take care of you. He is able to keep you from slipping or falling away, and bring you sinless and perfect into His glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy. In the meantime I commit each one of you to His kind care and keeping until we meet again, praying that not one of us will be missing in that great family reunion in the sky. ”What a day that will be.” God has been so good to me all my life in giving me Godly grandparents, parents, wife (Phil. 4:19 – she filled my need), grandchildren, and as far as I know great-grandchildren.
I have seen many things change during my lifetime – great improvements in the material world, standard of living, inventions, etc. However I am sorry to say that I cannot say this about the spiritual realm. Our forefathers left their homeland and friends to have freedom of religion. (Gen. 19:14). They suffered all kinds of hardships, walked to church in all kinds of weather to attend church twice each Sunday while today many churches only have ONE service and do not attend that during inclement weather with an automobile in the garage. Bed on Sunday morning and blue tube in the evening is more important. And when the children turn to all kinds of cults when they had absolutely no doctrinal training in the churches where the parents attended, who is to blame? When they get married contrary to 2 Cor. 6:13-15 are they to blame????? (Prov. 22:6) What were our example & priorities?
I ponder on these things more and more as my days are drawing to a close and soon the curtain on my life will be drawn for the LAST time. What have I done with the moments God has allotted to me? What kind of training have I given you? What kind of example have I been as a father and husband? One day soon I will have to give an account of that, and not to an earthly judge, but to the JUDGE of the universe. I am thinking of the hymn “Nothing but Leaves.” It is sort of late in life to start to think about these things at my age if we have not given them a thought before.
Mother was so thankful for each one of you and so am I. Thank you for what you have meant and done for me. God will reward you I am sure. All eternity will not be long enough to thank God for His grace and mercy and compassion, love, etc. shown me during my lifetime. Begin each day thanking the Lord for your Godly Mother (4/18/85). ”To God be the Glory.” Farewell, and God be with you till we meet again on Resurrection Morning, beseeching God that our family circle will be unbroken. May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do His will, and may He, through Jesus Christ, do in you what pleases Him. And to Christ be all the glory forever and ever! (Prov. 3:5-7, Acts 20:32)
Your Father
October 15, 1978 (& 1985 & 86-88)
The article can be found in it’s entirety here.
