Scars in Heaven: A 3-Day Devotional With Casting CrownsSample

The song “Scars in Heaven” was originally called “The Better Parts of Me.” The thought came from a conversation with my mom after she cared for her parents as they passed away within several months of each other. They were both believers, and Mom and I wound up talking about the idea of leaving a legacy.

Mom brought up my song, "Only Jesus," and how its chorus says we shouldn’t want to leave a legacy that points to ourselves. Rather, we want our earthly lives, both now and forever, to point to Jesus. Mom reflected on her mother’s life. My grandmother was a terrific cook. She had a huge heart for others and volunteered as a “Pink Lady” at her local hospital. She loved clogging. If you’re not Southern, you may not know that clogging is like Bluegrass Riverdance with huge dresses and tap shoes. The music and flurry of clogging made her beam.

Yet of all the pursuits at which my grandmother excelled, her lasting imprint is the prayer life my mother enjoys now. Mom developed her own walk with Jesus in part through the spiritual osmosis of modeling my grandmother’s disciplines. Mom recalled how my grandmother always read the devotional booklet Open Windows. She kept her Bible by her chair, where she would sit, read, and pray daily. Those consistent acts of devotion to her Lord are what stuck most with my mom.

“The best parts of her,” Mom said, “are the best parts of me.”

We are bound to go the way of all men. We too will pass from this world. The question is what are we doing to point people to Jesus, to the only One who matters, both now and for eternity? It is possible to so construct and order our lives to pass down a heritage of obedience, submission, and service to Jesus. It is possible that those best parts of us become the best parts of the loved ones we leave behind. In the end, it is all that matters.