The smile, perennial to the end
Moses Vegh died last Saturday. Thoughts of that and of his life keep coming back to me. That he was 80 and I’m 70 have no little part of it.
I only came to know Moses during the last six months. He’d spoken at our church, as had I. He spoke about his new book, which I bought and read. After I spoke he said, “Let’s go to coffee.”
It was while in Spain I read his book. Not that Spain has anything to do with it, but I was away from my normal routine, and thinking thoughts outside my normal routine. And Moses’ book describes a life outside of anybody’s routine!
It’s an autobiography, something friends had long coaxed him to write. Just in time, as it turns out.
Without boasting, it overviews a life transformed by and dedicated to the service of God in the lives of others. In his teens he was already a speaker in demand in various parts of the US and Canada. Over a life time, he traveled the world doing same.
Though he never benefitted from higher education or seminary, he was part of founding a number of such. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in China. (“Made in China,” he called it, never taking himself too seriously.)
Every page of his book gives an account that for someone else’s life would have been its high point; then you turn the page and there’s another one.
When we’d go to coffee (actually breakfast, weekly) I’d take notes on our conversation. He seemed to have not only the exact biblical quote to every situation, but chapter and verse. My current sketch book has a number of pages recording our times together. I never expected this chapter would close so quickly.
I was in Papua New Guinea, just this month, when I heard he was ailing. And that of multiple threats, Stage 4 Cancer on top of diabetes and I don’t remember what all else. By the time I got home I learned he was in the hospital, and then the final news: Dead.
Somebody said that on visiting him he’d been in his normal spirits, quoting a segment of Psalm 1, “He maketh me to lie down . . . ”*
There will be a big memorial for him this coming weekend with, I’m sure, many, many tributes.
But my reflections aren’t so much along those lines. Our lives are what they are. Each has its own history, and we can’t go back and live them differently. My reflections are more about its limits.
“The length of our days is seventy years, or eighty if we have the strength.” That’s a statement by the original Moses, in the Old Testament. By coincidence, that’s exactly what Moses Vegh had.
Another truth knocking about in my memory of late is this one: “Death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.”
Moses was 80; I’m 70. What are you?
Do the math.
______________
* Psalm 23:1
** Psalm 90:10
*** Ecclesiastes 7:2
PS If you missed the report and photos of Papua New Guinea, click here.
Our Lives Together
Its About Life
11:39 am
Good thoughts. Sounds like a special man.
You’re going to be like the original Moses and will really get going when you’re 80.
Pastor Adam Barton
Akron, Ohio
12:33 pm
(*hugs*)Praying for you during your season of loss. It’s amazing to see how the sparkle of Christ in others rubs off in our own lives through friendship. Beautiful thoughts about a beautiful life. You’ve whetted my appetite, so I’m going to pick up his book this week. Lord help me to make every moment count too! (*more hugs*)
12:41 pm
Welcome back. I missed you. I would like to share your newsletter with a number of my artists-colleagues through FB. Is that doable. Do you object? Your voice is fresh, heartfelt and wise and I would like others to know about you.
Thoughts?
1:01 pm
Thanks. And you’re certainly welcome to share any of this through FB or anything. And I’m always open for more subscribers to the blogs. Note that each requires a separate sign up . . . e-gallery (mostly art related) and Blank Slate (writing oriented).
2:07 pm
I’m packing to move without knowing where I’m going to live. I’ve been procrastinating with excuses why I should try to stay. Trying to decide what to do as I just turned 71 (three days ago) and how will I exist if I don’t keep working a job I’ve ‘out grown’ and have been doing for so long? I’d like to focus on art. You and others tell me to do my art. Suddenly, today I realized, I’m not worrying about it as much. Just get rid of ‘stuff’ first and allow space for what I’m suppose to do. I stopped for a minute to check emails and there you were with exactly what I needed to hear. THANK YOU for your message!
Although I did not have the pleasure of meeting Moses Legh, I am very sorry for the loss of such a wonderful person.
2:11 pm
I’m 59 and counting….my mom made it to 84 this past summer before she went to be with Jesus. I’ve found that whenever someone close to me goes, it makes me ponder life and death and what really matters about the life we lead here, which in turn affects the life we’ll lead the life we lead there. You have had many near to you leave this earth this year Hyatt, so naturally it is much on your mind. May God be your comfort…
4:08 pm
I’m sorry you lost a very special and beautiful friend.
I know that the blessings he has given you will always be with you.
Rejoice, he is with Jesus.
6:14 pm
Hyatt, What is the name of Moses’ book? Joyce
7:23 pm
The Chronicles of Moses, Acts of an Apostolic Journey
10:03 pm
Another wonderful blog that leads to contemplation! I like to think that I am living every day the best way I can. There is always so much more to do.
4:38 pm
By my calculations, I am now 63. I don’t know when my perspective changed from thinking I had plenty of time, God willing, to not enough no matter how I do the math. It was gradual, though, and I resisted it mightily for a time, but then there it was. It does not make me feel panicky like it once did; instead it stimulates contemplation. In practice, there are many times during a given day when I do remember to live in the moment so that I can most effectively use all that God has given me to navigate with. And those moments are just the best. May there be more and more of them for all of us however old we live to be.
6:38 pm
I loved it every time Moses spoke. He had a commanding voice with such conviction that those who didn’t believe in Christ were challenged to think again. He will be missed, but his life produced many to turn to Christ. He will have many jewels in his crown.
6:22 am
You are spot on in your assessment of Moses Vegh.
As his son in law of 35 years, I can tell you he was the most giving man I know ( along with my father , Jim).
He was a walking Bible as he knew all of the right scriptures for all the right times.
Not only did he know the scriptures but he had the revelation to go along with every scripture.
He made us dissect the scriptures to search out the true meaning of every text.
Thank you for writing about Dad Vegh, or PaPa Moses as his grandkids would call him.
Here are a few quotes he left for us:
1.Don’t clean your fish before you catch them.
2. God may be slow…but he’s never late.
3. Home is where you can scratch where it itches.
4. To live above with the saints we love… now that would be glory. But to live below with the folks we know…now thats another story.
5. Keep Training for the reigning.
6.He loves you too much to leave you the way you are.
7.The good old days are just ahead.
Thanks for letting me get a little break from the grieving process we are going through. This was therapeutic.
Gail Sterling- Son in Law of the Late Moses Vegh
3:04 pm
Your writing is pure essence…like the little bottles in the supermarket labelled ” essence of vanilla”-
Thanks for bringing to life a wonderful man…like Moses Vegh. Names are important and I’m sure he had a lot to live up to after his Biblical namesake.
Thanks for bringing the essence of Moses to life.
As his son in law states -the writing and speaking assists in the grieving process.
john