What Mark Are You Leaving on This World?

I sit here pondering what message I could share today that would motivate and inspire others to live their lives differently. What could I say to touch deep within your soul and give you the desire to accept the message I have?

Then it came to me….the reason for my heavy heart is the real message for today. Yes, it means that I get to again be raw and real and vulnerably share with you, but if you know me you know that that is exactly what I do on a regular basis.

The reason for my heavy heart is that Saturday, October 22, 2016 my Brother-in-law, Wade Fox, passed away. He was just 54 years old.

This was not a sudden death. It was not unexpected. In fact, he had been diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease 18 months prior to his passing. Before his diagnosis he was healthy as a horse. He had always been the strongest man in the room and able to do more than anyone else. As his illness progressed, we watched him wither away and become unable to speak or swallow, unable to do all for himself, unable to hold up his own head and yet, even in his final hours, full of dignity, love and grace, he was still serving others.

If you knew Wade at all, you would say he was a man of Spirituality, Courage, Commitment, Service, Strength, Hard work, Love and Honor. He was a man of true Grit. A TRUE man of God. He served others constantly and never asked for anything in return. He did more than a good deed daily and found ways to serve always. I consider him to be one of the hardest workers I have ever known. He was the first to show up and the last to leave when there was a project to be done, a scout camp to have, a neighborhood project, a party to have or a major event to tackle. Wade has always been an icon for youth and adults alike. You can hear it often said, “When I grow up I want to be like Wade Fox.”

I cannot even begin to tell you the many aspects that this great man served in; be it in the Scouting organization, the Dairy industry or in serving his God through his church. He was on numerous Boards and Leadership positions everywhere. Service was his entire being! But the parts that I want to also bring to light are the “behind the scenes” times that you always could see his heart and soul. He befriended the lonely, he prayed for the troubled; he reached out to the struggling and buoyed up the weary. He was a beloved son, brother, uncle, neighbor and friend, but above all he was an INCREDIBLE husband, father and grandfather. His family was truly his pride and joy!

He would show up to a family get together and play with all the kids, mash the potatoes, be the last one to fill his plate and the first one washing dishes. He hugged everyone there and it was his big tight bear hug that you would wonder if your ribs were going to break. His presence was known everywhere he went. He left you better than he found you every time you saw him. He was the biggest giver I have ever known. When Wade Fox showed up, he SHOWED UP!

Wade left a LEGACY. He left his MARK.

Even within hours before his passing he was emailing encouraging words to Missionaries.

Let me put this into a bit of perspective for you. At this point in his illness he could not speak or swallow. He was so weak that he could not even hold his own head up. Breathing was next to impossible, yet he sat in his chair, had his dear wife assist him to prop up his head and with atrophied hands and one letter at a time was emailing others with encouraging words. He was building them up, strengthening them, teaching them and loving them. He was teaching all of us what it means to put others before ourselves. To stand for Truth and Righteousness and to fight our battle with everything we can muster within us! To hold to the rod and be Christ like in all that we do.

As the storms of life come and our “wave’s crash in on our beach” my question for us all is this:

“Are You Leaving Your Mark?”

• What are you known for?
• Are we being all we can be?
• Are we willing to do for others, finding the good in this world that seems to be on a path headed for tougher times?
• Are we willing to give of ourselves always, expecting nothing in return?
• Are we doing a good turn daily?
• Are we fighting the battle of a lifetime, even until our last breath and moments on this earth, yet finding ways to serve and do for others continuously?
• Are we leaving our Legacy?

How blessed I have been to have had the influence of Wade Fox, as a brother in my life for over 36 years! How incredible it has been to have HIM be a HERO for my children to look to as an example of how we should live our lives and how we should focus on others. What an HONOR it has been to be in your presence. I am filled with Gratitude to have had you in my life and an example of what I can always strive to live up to. Wade, I love you and honor you for being a leader among men and for always standing tall, always going the extra mile, always loving unconditionally and paving the way ahead for us all. You will NEVER be forgotten. This world is a better place because you were here!