Our text for today is from Second Timothy 1:5:
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.”
These words, written by Paul to Timothy, are all we know about Lois and Eunice. Yet, they reveal so much.
Having preached many funerals, I’ve stood at gravesites in a variety of places—some were beautifully maintained parks, while others were little more than neglected fields. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed reading the epitaphs on headstones, which often provide glimpses into lives once lived.
Here are a few famous examples:
- Merv Griffin, TV talk show host: “I will not be right back after this message.”
- Frank Sinatra, singer: “The best is yet to come.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.: “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m Free at Last.”
If I were to imagine an epitaph for Lois and Eunice, it might read, “Gone, but not forgotten.”
Though these two remarkable women eventually left this world, the faith they instilled in Timothy ensured their legacy lived on. Their sincere faith became a part of Timothy’s life and ministry, impacting countless others.
I don’t know how the world will remember me, nor what might be written on my headstone. But like Lois and Eunice, I hope to be remembered for the faith and love I pass on to my children and grandchildren—those I send into a future I will never see.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.