I officiated at a funeral today for an exceptionally good Christian gentleman. He was just a fine man. In visiting with his family over the past weeks when he was hospitalized in Ft. Worth, I was most impressed with his children and grandchildren too. That does not happen by accident. He instilled good values in his children.

I posed a question to those attending the funeral today. At what point to we become of age? At age 17, we are old enough to be treated as adults in criminal matters. At age 21, we are legal in every sense of the term. None of us truly come of age until we realize that we are leaving a legacy for the generation to follow.

In other words, we come of age once we realize that every choice we make impacts a lot of people. The commitments we make today have the potential to affect our children, and grandchildren in a positive manner long after we leave this earth. Unfortunately the opposite is true too. Our selfishness has the potential to lurk in the family for generations to come. It surfaces in odd ways.

We will leave an imprint on the hearts of our loved ones. What will that imprint look like? Will that imprint look more like an unsightly stain than a piece of beautiful art? I am not convinced that I have asked myself that question nearly enough. Perhaps at age 47 I have not come of age. The passing of good friends places all kinds of thoughts in motion. Maybe I will grow up soon and come of age. How about you?