Ending Well by Rose McCormick Brandon

 In his small but terrifying book, Night, Elie Wiesel writes of life in a concentration camp. He tells this story of a young Polish violinist, Juliek.

Near the end of the war, breathless for the allies to break through and rescue them, Jewish concentration camp inmates were herded for miles. Starved, frozen, these men who had eluded crematoriums, some for years,  died by the tens of thousands on the snow-covered fields of Germany.

Survivors of the journey arrived at Buchenwald, a concrete graveyard. Men stacked their broomstick bodies like kindling to warm one another. Wiesel and his father were in that pile of dying humanity.

From beneath him, Wiesel heard a violin playing a Beethoven concerto. The music came from young Juliek. During years of persecution, he'd protected his treasured violin.

"The darkness enveloped us. All I could hear was the violin. Juliek was playing his life. His whole being was gliding over the strings."

Wiesel fell asleep to the music. When he awoke Juliek was dead, the body of his violin crushed.

"How could I forget this concert given before an audience of the dead and the dying? Even today, when I hear that particular piece by Beethoven, my eyes close and out of the darkness emerges the pale and melancholy face of my Polish comrade bidding farewell to an audience of dying men."

Juliek's music soothed the souls of the dying.

With his final bit of strength, he gave.

A few days later, allied soldiers arrived at the gates of Buchenwald. Rescuers. 

Sometimes in the midst of hideous happenings, a bird sings, a baby giggles, the sun pierces the clouds.  Like the violin of Juliek these remind us, in the midst of human suffering, that beauty still exists. That God is still on His throne and that He moves in human hearts.

Juliek used his last bit of strength to bless others. He ended well. Many don't end well. (Often we see this in the visible and privileged.) Some use their last bit of energy to vent, rage and avenge. They leave a legacy with an unpleasant odor. 

Ending well is supremely important for the Christian. For inspiration read the story of Caleb (Joshua 14).

Make a commitment to end well.

Note: Elie Wiesel won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. 

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Rose McCormick Brandon lives in Caledonia, Ontario with husband Doug. An award-winning personal experience and inspirational writer, Rose contributes to denominational publications and devotionals. She writes and teaches Bible Studies, authors biblical essays and is the author of the Canadian history book, Promises of Home – Stories of Canada’s British Home Children. Her book, One Good Word Makes all the Difference, contains stories of her personal journey from prodigal to passionate follower of Jesus. She is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of four. 

A Time to Gather Stones by Rose McCormick Brandon

We will use these (twelve) stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:6,7

The Israelites were nearing the Promised Land, nearing fulfilment of the promise given to Abraham centuries before. God stopped the flow of the Jordan River for them to pass over into the land. He instructed Joshua to gather twelve stones, one to represent each tribe, and create a monument that would stand as a reminder to future generations that God Himself made a way for His people to claim their inheritance.

Stone monuments dot the landscape of our country, including some on Parliament Hill engraved with scripture. Over the east window of the Peace Tower: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea (Psalm 72:8). The south window: Give the King thy judgement, O God, and thy righteousness unto the King's son (Psalm 72:1). The west window: Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). Other scriptures appear in the Memorial Chamber and on the bell. 

Gravestones fill our cemeteries. Some with telling words, like Fanny Crosby’s which bears the words of one of her famous hymns: Blessed assurance, Jesus is Mine. O what a foretaste of glory divine. 

Each of us must build a memorial. Something that testifies to future generations that Jesus Christ revealed Himself to us, that we experienced the miracle of salvation and were transformed by it. It need not be made of stone. One man left a letter to his grandchildren expressing his desire that each of them would love the Lord Jesus. Today, his great-great-grandchildren have copies of his letter. Meaningful words scribed with love near the end of his life when he was about to cross over into the Promised Land.

The time to gather stones is now. Stones of deeds done in the name of Christ. Stones of loving God and forgiving people, of being filled with the Spirit, reading and obeying His Word, prayer, encouraging others, living in peace, forgetting the past and moving forward, spreading the gospel, honouring Christ daily and finally, dying with His Name on our lips.

Think about the faith legacy you will leave. Will it be of stone? Wood? Words? Whatever it is make it meaningful.

Prayer: Father, guide me on this issue of leaving a faith legacy. Let it be something that will testify to future generations that I followed You.

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Rose McCormick Brandon is author of One Good Word Makes all the Difference and Promises of Home - Stories of Canada's British Home Children. Her articles and devotionals are published in many Christian magazines and in collections of inspiring stories like Chicken Soup for the Soul. She writes two blogs: Promises of Home and Listening to my Hair Grow.