Leaves of Remembrance

Leaves of Remembrance
By ray mileur

I pause to remember,
and quietly give thanks.

What I have found,
I pray you will discover too.

For every good thing I have been given
belongs, in some way, to you —
my children, my family,
and those who come after.

I imagine you years from now,
looking back,
searching through the glow of screens,
scrolling through what I have left behind,
wondering about the man you knew,
or perhaps only heard stories of —
the man once known for walking with Jesus.

You may look for a name,
a faded photograph,
a line in a search result,
or some small trace of who I was.

But I hope you find more.

I have left my heart in these words,
waiting for you.

Why do I share these thoughts in writing?
Why do I leave them online?
Why do I pour out my story,
not knowing who may listen?

Why do I scatter prayers, sermons,
devotions, and reflections,
not knowing who may one day receive them?

It is not for applause.
It is not for attention.
It is not for the fleeting praise of strangers.

It is for you —
my children,
my grandchildren,
and those yet to be born.

Look at the books,
the websites,
the scattered sermons,
the daily devotions,
the words left behind like leaves along the path.

They are not just content.

They are stones of remembrance,
markers of my journey,
signs along the road I walked,
sometimes through wilderness,
sometimes through shadow,
but always toward the light.

I want you to know
that I walked with Jesus.

Imperfectly, yes.
Often stumbling.
Often uncertain.
Often needing grace more than I understood.

But always with a sincere heart,
turning again and again
toward the One who never let me go.

He carried me through low valleys
and over hard mountains.

He was faithful in my darkest nights.
He heard me when I prayed.
He lifted me when I fell.
He saved even me —
a small and ordinary soul.

Before I go,
I leave you this testimony:

These words are breadcrumbs,
a trail through the woods
for you to follow.

I am not entirely gone.

I am just ahead of you,
walking the same road,
leaving a trail
that leads you home.