Legacy

Legacy

How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.

THERE ARE TWO PHOTOS that stay tucked in the front of my journal. One is of my sister Katrina who passed away and the other is of my uncle Jim. The photo of my uncle is worn around the edges, but in it he’s sitting on the couch with me perched on his lap. He’d probably just come in from working in the barn. I smile anytime I see it. I loved him and the farm he lived on. But it was more than that. My uncle Jim and aunt Delpha modeled the ways of Jesus before I even really knew what they were.

They welcomed strangers by taking in foster kids for twenty years. They adopted several of the kids brought to their home. They stood up to neighbors when not all their children were invited to play. My uncle would spend hours with us kids, even though I’m sure he had better things to do. He loved us well. That time had a profound effect on my life.

The truth is, no one really knows my uncle Jim and aunt Delpha outside of their small community, but to me, they are modern-day heroes of the faith. My uncle wasn’t a saint by any means—he was an imperfect, flawed human being. But he paved a way of love with his life that has sent ripples well beyond his passing. His legacy lives on, woven into the fabric of my life and the many others whose lives have been impacted for the good by him.

Our legacy isn’t something we usually give a lot of thought to in the moment. I’m sure my uncle never thought about his legacy as he was spending time with us kids; he was just doing what he believed was important. But our legacy is being created every day of our lives. Does this mean we can never mess up or have a bad day? Certainly not. But it does mean that as we seek to make obeying God’s commands a habit in our lives, we will reap the benefits, and so will our children.

Lord, thank you for the legacy of those who have gone before us. Give us wisdom to be intentional about the legacy we want to leave. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Thank someone whose legacy made a difference in your life.