Our Cause

When we live our lives based on a specific cause, then our behaviors show others our beliefs, tenets and convictions. As one author says, “The most persuasive witness is the way one lives, not the words one speaks.”

The topic of one’s cause in life was recently discussed in the last Macek Maverick call, those bimonthly family conference phone calls that keep on keeping on with my siblings after four continuous years. 

The question, “How would you like our Macek family to be remembered?” was answered by five of the seven members of the family, with two members absent because of other commitments. But, as always, the answers vary because we are all unique characters who are dubbed with the Macek family name.  

During the call, one of my sisters made the point that Dad’s cause for our family was to be a family, to live as a family and to be dedicated to each other. She also mentioned that his suicide was not a very good reflection of our family.

I agreed with everything she had to say. Dad was a very dedicated father, who longed for all of us to get along and love each other. Dad’s fidelity for his wife and kids showed up in the choices he made. Up until his death, he was committed to the cause of his family. Consequently, his suicide, though part of our family’s history, is not what I hope our family will be remembered for. 

Remembering My Cause

I have little control over what our 12 offspring will muse on after their moms, dads, aunts and uncles are dead and gone. Perhaps it is possible that we will be remembered as unique individuals instead of the conglomeration called the Macek family. 

If there is that chance that I will be recalled by any one of my sons, nieces or nephews, I hope that I will be remembered as one of the faithful, as one of the ones who kept the course, as one of the ones whose life displayed fidelity to God. 

I have to say that although the death of a parent by suicide leaves its mark on those left behind, it does not have to be a permanently permeating birth mark that stains us forever. 

My father’s suicide left me wanting, desperate and very needy. By the time I was 21, that thin veneer of self-confidence, independence and guardedness I’d donned in order to survive, was cracked, peeling and totally useless. Then, at just the right moment, Jesus showed up and I gladly took myself out of my own keeping and entrusted myself to God’s keeping. I believe my father’s death was the catalyst for my faith.

Why Bother?

Why bother considering our cause? When we consider our cause then perhaps we will be remembered for the way we lived our lives with fidelity.

P.S. I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who want to know that accepting God’s love for us changes everything about us. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.