11/20/2025
What would you put on your tombstone?
Pastor Nate shares this powerful story:
"I don't know if you've ever thought about what you'd put on your tombstone when you die. I heard something a long time ago and decided I'm just gonna copy it. There's nothing better than this.
It was Ruth Graham, Billy Graham's wife. Her epitaph on her tombstone says: **'End of construction. Thank you for your patience.'**
And when I heard that, I was like... that's AMAZING."
**THE GENIUS OF THIS:**
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IT'S HONEST
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Ruth Graham could have picked:
β "Faithful wife of Billy Graham"
β "Devoted mother and grandmother"
β "Servant of the Lord"
β "Well done, good and faithful servant"
All true. All honorable.
But instead, she chose radical honesty: "I was under construction my whole life. Thanks for putting up with me."
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IT'S HUMBLE
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She lived 87 years. Married to one of the most famous preachers in history. Raised 5 kids. Impacted millions.
And her summary? "I wasn't perfect. I was being built."
No pretense. No false spirituality. Just humility.
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IT'S THEOLOGICAL
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This is SANCTIFICATION in one sentence.
Sanctification = the lifelong process of becoming like Christ
You're not:
β Perfected at salvation
β Done growing after baptism
β Finished learning at discipleship class
You're UNDER CONSTRUCTION until you:
β Die
β Or Jesus returns
Whichever comes first.
**THE PROCESS:**
Philippians 1:6 β "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
BEGAN = Past (salvation)
CARRY ON = Present (sanctification)
COMPLETION = Future (glorification)
You're saved INSTANTLY.
You're changed PROGRESSIVELY.
You're perfected EVENTUALLY.
**THE IMPLICATION:**
This means:
β You're allowed to be a work in progress
β You don't have to have it all together
β You're not supposed to be perfect yet
β God's STILL WORKING on you
β The areas where you struggle = active construction zones
**THE FREEDOM:**
Stop beating yourself up for:
β Not being further along spiritually
β Still struggling with the same sins
β Not looking as "spiritual" as others
β Having bad days/weeks/months
β Feeling like you should be "better" by now
YOU'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
The fact that you're frustrated with your progress? That's PROOF you're being worked on.
Dead people don't care about growth. Only ALIVE people do.
**THE PATIENCE:**
Now here's the beautiful part: "Thank you for your patience."
Ruth Graham recognized that being "under construction" meant:
β People had to put up with her
β She wasn't easy to live with
β She needed grace
β Others showed patience while God worked on her
This is a call for MUTUAL PATIENCE.
You need patience with yourself (you're not done yet).
Others need patience with you (you're still being built).
You need patience with others (they're under construction too).
**THE ANALOGY:**
When you drive past a construction site, do you judge the building for not being finished?
No. You see the crane, the scaffolding, the workers, and you think: "Oh, they're still building. Cool."
That's how God sees you.
Not: "Why aren't you done yet?"
But: "Look at the progress! Keep going!"
**THE ENCOURAGEMENT:**
Wherever you are in the process:
β God's not surprised
β He's not disappointed
β He's not frustrated
β He's still working
β He'll finish what He started
You're not a finished product. You're a MASTERPIECE in progress.
**THE CHALLENGE:**
So what would YOUR epitaph say?
If you had to summarize your life in one sentence, what would capture your journey?
For Ruth Graham, it was honest, humble, and theological: "End of construction. Thank you for your patience."
Maybe ours should be too.
What's one area of your life still "under construction"? Share below π
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