Sacred Whispers Blog

“The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!”

2 Samuel 1:19 NKJV

A LEGACY OF MIGHT

“How the mighty have fallen.” David’s lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan is more than a mournful cry; it is a profound recognition of loss. When someone mighty in our lives dies, the void is more than physical—it’s spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. David’s words echo through the ages, reminding us that greatness, though fleeting in this life, leaves behind an enduring legacy.

For me, these words resonate with the memory of my grandmother, Curtis Cooper Donnelly.  She invoked in me the same feelings of honor that embody the words of David as he hears the news of Saul and Jonathan’s death.  She raised me, my brother and my sister, and died while we were still children. To me, she embodied the ‘might’ that I understand David to mean by his use of that word.  She was strong, wise, and unshakable in her faith. Her life was characterized by consistency, dignity and strength.  She was one of the pillars of the black community in our small South Carolinian town, and her name carried with it an earned respect.  But for me, she represented something completely different, something endearingly personal – she was the single greatest example in my childhood of what faith and love should look like.

I was missing some critical relationships in those early days of my childhood, but because of my grandmother’s love, I never felt those absences.  Her love shielded me from the natural impact of not having a father’s affirmation or a mother’s unconditional love, and her belief in me planted seeds of purpose that still bear fruit in my life today.  Not one day did I ever leave for school, or attempt a personal goal, or exercise my yet unproven talents, and not feel deeply and completely loved.

She told me every day that I can remember how special I was.  She would clasp her large hands around my tiny face, look in my eyes, and remind me that I was called to be someone special.  She would tell me that God had marked me as one of His own and that one day, I would do something great.   Those words, spoken daily in my life, became the foundation of my self-worth, my faith, and my future. She taught my brother and I to be better than mediocre, and greater than ordinary.  I am a husband, a father, a pastor, and a servant in my community.  I have survived rejection, abuse, and regret because her quiet influence left a loud impact on my life.  The lesson her life has taught me is that ‘mighty’ people inspire us to do ‘mighty’ things.

She was the rock that my brother and I leaned on for our morals, our sense of honor, and our faith.  And then, one day, without time to prepare, she was gone. The rock we leaned on crumbled, and that loss felt insurmountable.

THE GIFTS OF THE MIGHTY

When the mighty fall, they leave behind treasures, not in wealth or possessions, but in the intangible gifts of their lives. The question for me is not simply “How have the mighty fallen?” but “What gifts have the mighty given me from which I am made better?”  We all have mighty ones in our lives.  They are our parents, our husbands, our wives, our mentors, our teachers, our pastors, and our friends.  What can I learn from their successes, and what golden gems can I glean from their failures?  Rest assured that our lives are the products of the lives of those who have gone before us.  They are not perfect.  What makes them mighty is not their perfections, but how they have learned to overcome their flaws.  My grandmother was deeply flawed, I have no doubt. But somehow, she was strong enough to battle her flaws and confront – rather than deny – her weaknesses.  This is what strength and humility looks like.  The mighty are not mighty because they’re perfect, not even because they’re good, but because they are humble, and honest, and sincere.

The question we must all ask ourselves when the mighty fall is, ‘What lessons, virtues, and examples can we learn and pass on to our children? Their struggles become our template for resilience. Their faith becomes our anchor. Their lives continue to forge for us new pathways for our journey.

WHEN THE MIGHTY RISE AGAIN

Yet, there is another Mighty One whose story reminds us that even death cannot truly claim the mighty. On that fateful day on the outskirts of Jerusalem, on a hill called Calvary, there were many who said that our Savior had fallen.  He was nailed to a cross and pierced for our redemption, but make no mistake, He should not be one counted among the 'fallen'.  Though His lifeless body was laid in a borrowed tomb and to every eye that beheld him, it appeared that He had fallen.  And while He lay in a grave, angels mourned and demons mocked, but let it be known that He had not fallen in the same manner as other men.  At daybreak on that fateful Sunday morning, He arose from the dead in power, with glory and majesty. 

The story of His resurrection still causes my heart to sing for joy because it reminds me that He is Mighty still! His resurrection is evidence that the 'mighty' who have lived in faith and who died in hope can never truly fall. They move from the battlefield of this life to the banquet hall of the next. They exchange the burdens of earth for the joys of heaven. In many ways, they were too good for this fallen earth.  They were citizens of another country journeying through an unfamiliar land.  This world was never really their home.  They were sent here with a mission to love us unconditionally, ground our faith in Christ, and model godly virtue and honor, and then when they completed their mission, they were simply called home. 

HOW THEN SHOULD WE LIVE?

In the wake of their passing, how do we honor the mighty who shaped our lives? We live as they lived—with strength, faith, and purpose. We embrace the lessons they taught us, allowing their struggles to guide us and their virtues to inspire us.

We love as they loved, with unconditional devotion. We strive to be better, to rise above mediocrity, and to reflect the values they instilled in us. And most importantly, we clothe ourselves in the faith that sustained them, trusting in the same God who carried them home.

PRAYER

O God, thank You for the mighty ones You have placed in our lives—the parents, grandparents, mentors, and friends who have shaped us through their love and faith. Help us to honor their memory by living lives of purpose and love. When we face struggles, remind us of their resilience. When we feel lost, remind us of their guidance. And when we feel weak, remind us of their strength.

Father, thank You for the ultimate Mighty One, Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection assure us that we, too, will rise. May His victory be our hope, His life our example, and His love our foundation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DAILY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

This week, take time to reflect on someone mighty in your life who has passed on. Write down the lessons they taught you and the values they lived by.  Consider how you can embody those lessons in your daily life. Whether it’s through acts of kindness, standing firm in faith, or pursuing excellence, let their legacy inspire you to live with purpose.

Lastly, spend time in prayer, thanking God for their influence and asking for His strength to carry forward their legacy.