Danny Lotz played basketball for the University of North Carolina and was a member of the UNC undefeated 1957 national championship team. He was a dentist and a Christian. He was also married to Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham. He died earlier this week at age 78.

What caught my attention was the tribute Anne and the family paid Danny on her ministry’s web site. It read:

“Danny and Anne were married for forty-nine years. At the age of fifty Danny developed a severe case of Adult 1 diabetes. For over ten years following his retirement from dentistry he fought the ravages of the disease, earning him the beloved nickname, God’s Gladiator. He lost the sight in one eye and the hearing in one ear. His heart disease required five stents in his arteries. His renal failure dictated three days of dialysis each week, five hours each time. And yet he never complained, never slowed down, never gave up, never stopped investing in the lives of others. As a New Yorker he was plain spoken. As a German he was stubborn. As a Christian he was a compassionate servant leader. He was more than a man’s man. He was God’s man who triumphantly finished his race having fought the good fight, and having kept his faith firmly focused on the kingdom of God first.

He moved to our Father’s House on August 19, 2015 and received the accolade of his Savior, Lord, and King who presented him with the Crown of Righteousness. We salute you, Danny Lotz. And we will never forget you.”

What those closest to us write and say about us when we die is determined by what we do while we live. The more positive their words, the better our life will have been.

What words would our family use to describe us if we died today?

That’s not a question we like to ponder. Yet it is a question that helps us take a serious look at our life and relationships. It helps us evaluate our faith and dedication to Jesus Christ. Any question that does that is a good question.

So “ponder away” and allow God to speak to your heart and mind through the words you imagine your loved ones might write or speak about you on the day of your death.

Pastor Steve Hogg