When you leave this world, how will you be remembered?
Maybe people will remember that you set a world record. Like Fin Keheler, who stuck 43 snails to his face for 10 seconds. Surpassing the previous record of 36. The poor guy is still cleaning slime out of his ears.
My kids have made fun of me for the size of my schnoz, but Mehmet Ozyurek of Turkey possesses an even larger nose than I. His snout is a record breaking 3.5 inches long (about 9 cm). That, my friends, is a trunk.
And if, like me, you’ve been wondering for years who holds the world’s fastest time running the 100-meter hurdles while wearing swimming flippers, your wait is over. Veronica Torr galloped down the racetrack in her swim fins, setting a world record of 19.28 seconds. Well done, Veronica.
Our final world record holder is Linda Taylor of Indiana. Linda has been married more times than any other woman in the world. She has walked the aisle 23 times. Over the years she married barmen, plumbers and musicians. She even married a one-eyed ex-con, and a preacher. One of her ex’s put a padlock on her fridge. Her shortest marriage lasted 36 hours. She married one man three separate times. Her last marriage, in 1996, was a publicity stunt. The groom was Glynn Wolfe, who in taking Linda as his bride, became the most married man on earth – a total of 29 times. He died a year later, when a bookcase bearing wedding photo albums fell on him.
No, I’m kidding about the wedding albums. But he did pass away at 88. It happens to a lot of people. So before it does, we’re wise to ask, “What will I be remembered for?” How can we reach the end of life without major regrets?
I can’t help but think of my father. He didn’t leave much money, but he left a priceless legacy of joy. How? Dad realized early in his marriage that the Bible consistently commands us to love. 1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, continue to show deep love for each other.” Such love has a way of outlasting us and breathing life into the next generation. And so I’d rather leave behind a handful of grandkids who know they are loved than three dozen bestselling books. I’d take the respect of my wife over a world record any day.
How about you? One of the secrets to lasting joy is considering what we’ll leave behind. And if you’re working toward a world record, well, I’m told there’s an opening for running the hurdles in swim fins, with snails stuck to your nose.
