How to Write an Obit

Birth date. End date. And everything in-between.

I Googled to see if there was a template to follow in writing about my father’s life.

Dad had dementia and it was hard to see past the last fourteen years of confusion. But dementia is a disease, not a definition of a person’s worth, and there was more to his story.

When Dad came to live with our family, he found companionship in his Bible and in books. His own brain played tricks on him, but books gave him a way to connect with the world of words and ideas. His dementia got to the point where he wasn’t always able to express himself with words, but when we asked him to pray at mealtime something happened. Dad suddenly had clarity and was able to articulate what he wanted to say to his Heavenly Father. Because of Dad’s prayers, we were able to listen in to his direct line to the Father’s heart.

Many people were beneficiaries of Dad’s prayers. He loved people and showed a great interest in their lives. My sister and I often joked he was the man of twenty questions, looking for ways to connect the dots with the intersection of our paths.

Those paths took some twists and turns, but Dad clung to his faith in God and His plan. Dad can now say with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV

Exercise:

What would your obituary say? Make a list of what you want included, with dates of highlights in your life. Who is special to you? What is important? What personal touches would you add? *

Maybe you’re not satisfied with what you see? It’s not too late to change your obit. Make a new list with passions from your bucket list. Paul says, “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24 NIV

May our obituaries testify to the grace of God at work in our lives.

What would your obit say?

Reference:

* https://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Obituary

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net