CBC Worship Ministries: Devotional Blog

My loving daughter gave me a CD for Father's Day - "Frank Sinatra: Nothing But the Best". Sing it, Frankie! I'm sorry, it just doesn't get any better than "Fly Me to The Moon", "Luck Be A Lady", or one of my own personal all time favorites, "The Girl from Ipanema" As I listened enraptured to the CD, I kept glancing down at the title of the album - "Nothing But the Best." What a great title! Looking back at Frankie's life, there were plenty of times that were not the "best". There were several marriages and bitter divorces. He had a vocal cord hemorrhage which almost ended his career. Not every song recorded became a smash hit. And, like all the rest of us mere mortals, he succumbed to the inevitability of death through disease and cancer. But the bad times - the bad things - mostly are forgotten. What has risen to the top are the great songs - the great classic love songs and themes that made him the superstar that he was.

As I write this I am imagining the "CD" of my life after I die. I wonder what the "greatest hits" will be. . . so here's a few titles I'm hoping will appear on the album: "He loved Jesus"; "Faithful Servant"; "Loving Husband and Father" "Teacher and Encourager" "Average Musician but Always Enthusiastic!" When we look at the sum of our lives, it is so important that we focus on what we want our "greatest hits" to be. Each of us is going to leave a "CD" behind - a collection of the things that we have done. Some of you will have many gold records - things that you have done that truly shine for God. It's not my place to judge, or any one else's - but isn't it true that the cream rises to the top? What you do that counts for eternity is the "Nothing But the Best" of your life. All the rest is nothing but dross. Some of you are fairly young - you have your adult lives for the most part in front of you. Don't waste it! Start building your collection of greatest hits now, while you are able. And for the rest of us - well, it's never too late. There's nothing like the present to get started on building a legacy for when we are gone.

At the end of my life, when the full body of my work, career, and life is reviewed, my prayer is that there is enough to create a "Nothing But the Best" album. And then I will echo the words that are inscribed on the headstone of Frank Sinatra's grave: THE BEST IS YET TO COME.
So what are the "greatest hits" that you'd like on your life's album? Send us your "tracks" and let's put together the compilation album!