Last month I lost a dear friend and colleague Mike Allegra.
I worked with Mike for 6 years and unfortunately this last year I watched him ultimately lose his earthly battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Over these years, we developed a strong friendship that went way beyond the typical boss/employee relationship. And within the last several months we deepened our relationship and shared our faith and had great discussions about the truth of the gospel.
A few weeks before he passed, Mike and his wife asked me to give the eulogy at his funeral. I was honored to share my and my colleagues' memories of Mike and of his relationship with Jesus.
Just a couple of weeks before Mike's funeral, my quartet sang at a church about an hour from our home. The pastor spoke that week on what he would preach on if he knew this was going to be his last day on earth. The pastor decided that he would have to speak on the incredible love of God. That sermon really touched me and I decided to use that theme for part of my eulogy.
So I shared at the funeral about the sacrificial love that God has for all of us and the free gift of his love and salvation. In addition, I shared that I really cherished those last few months with Mike because I knew he was dying and that our time was short. But you know what? We are all dying! Every day we are closer to our last on this earth and whether it is 80 years, 80 days, or 80 minutes from now, we should cherish every minute like it is our last!
So after sharing about Mike's life and how he put his trust in the Lord, I closed with these thoughts:
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So I started a few minutes ago by talking about honoring Mike, and I'll close by asking how can we remember and honor the life that Mike lived?
I would suggest three ways that we can live out the rest of our lives in order to honor Mike's life:
#1: We should live life knowing that, just as God loves Mike, God loves each of *us* immensely and unconditionally.
#2: We should spend each day loving and caring for everyone we meet, just like Mike so perfectly modeled for us.
#3: We should live each day like we are dying. I challenge all of us to mend broken relationships today, to say I'm sorry, thank you, and I love you more frequently, to help and encourage others, to give more hugs (I'm a hugger), and finally to live with eternity in mind.
I think if we lived this way, we would all honor Mike's memory and legacy. Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to share with all of you.
Love you Mike.
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So I implore all of you to do the same. Cherish each moment of each day like it could be your last on this earth. And more importantly, ready yourself for eternity by placing your faith in the resurrection and professing Jesus as your Lord!
...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!
You can find the complete eulogy here:
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