A Life Well Lived

Today I went to Brooke Prieto's memorial service. I'll admit that at first I didn't want to go, thinking of all the other things I could do with the time. But after attending, I'm so thankful that I was able to be a part.

Brooke was an exceptional young woman. I'm only sad to say that I barely knew her. The main memory I have of her is sitting at my kitchen table, sipping tea at the "kid's table" while all the adults ladies were in the other room. At first I was so intimidated to have her sit with us younger girls. She was so much older, not to mention she was gorgeous and popular. What would I have to talk about with her? But as she sat down and began talking, I realized how humbly genuine she was. She had no air of superiority, nor did she give any sign that she was thinking about herself at all. Just a few mintues spent with her was refreshing. She truly knew how to give and reflect God's unconditional love.

The memorial service was hard to get through as the sisters, father, and husband spoke about her angelic nature. But it was absolutely beautiful. This was a woman, though only in her twenties, who had fulfilled her purpose. Even though she had such little energy from her disease, she continued to give herself to others and never was she heard complaining. She could have easily planted herself in her bed and made the whole world realize how unfortunate she was. She could have revolved her life around her sickness. She could have cried out against the unfairness of having to die so young. But she didn't. No, instead she encouraged others, gave to others, and never seemed to notice herself.

Brooke is one inspiring woman. I'm at a point in my life where I'm wondering how I'm going to make an impact on this world. I'm a junior in college now and it's time to start thinking about the future. I would love to share my love for philosophy with high school students, but I always come back to the same question: Am I any good at it? My problem is that, comparing myself to all the other brilliant Torrey students, I usually feel like I'm not very good at much. But I want to use my time and energy to impact others and bring them to Christ. I want to use my life not for my own entertainment and enjoyment but for God's purpose. I just need to find out what I'm good and do it for Christ, right? Well what amazed me about Brooke is that she was not remembered today for her amazing factual knowledge, her artistic or musical ability, or her great people skills. She was remembered for making dinners for those who were sick, praying with pastors even when she was the only student doing it, supporting a worship team even though she had no musical ability. She didn't need to be famous for her xyz quality. She served God simply with who she was. Too often I feel like I can't live an effective life because I'm just not talented enough to catch people's attention and lead them to God. I feel like I can't serve God until I know my unique ability that can be made God-centered. But as Brooke showed, you live a good life in every conversation, through every relationship, any encouraging note, or easy task for another. It's a simple concept, but remember that living an effective life for Christ doesn't require a special talent, nor is it limited to that talent. It is a lifestyle. It is how you choose to spend your time, how you interact with others, and ultimately, whether you're living your day-to-day life for yourself or for others.

I pray to God that one day, people will remember my life and will instantly think of God's love, selflessness, and holiness. I so desperately want to live a life that is meaningful and well-done. But rather than stressing about a way to make myself talented enough to catch people's attention, I can start with how I use my thought life, how I interact with people, and how I spend time with my Abba. Thank you Brooke, for your selfless life. Even though I barely spent any time with you, thank you for what you gave, and how you turned us all past yourself and on to God.