Tell Us About . . . Legacy: A Positive Impact

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Leaving behind a legacy could mean property or financial assets passed on to descendants, but I suspect that more people think of the definition listed second in the dictionary I consulted. It mentioned the lasting impact of events or actions, and also the impact a person's life can have on others.  

I found it a bit unsettling to ponder the legacy we'd be leaving, since our financial balance sheet doesn't look particularly profitable at the moment. As far as I know now, there won't be millions of dollars to distribute to our children and all our favorite charities. We don't have a piece of property that's been in the family for many generations that will be pass down to the next generation. So what will we have to pass along?

I thought of our house. I hope it will be paid off by the time we pass away, but it's not really the monetary value of the house that I'm focusing on. Sure, it would be very nice to gift our children with a little piece of land with a house on it that they can live in or profit from, but I'm really thinking more of that place as a home base. A home. And the legacy of experiences and memories, and hopefully of positive examples and values.

Family ties and relationships fit into all those categories. I hope we're passing on a legacy of a loving and secure family home that was warm and welcoming, and that the memories we made and are making will be of happy experiences. Family traditions can be developed intentionally, like the ways we celebrate holidays or establish house rules, or can become established organically, like the interests we share and find ourselves doing together regularly. Our family has some holiday traditions and some everyday traditions that I think are positive―and fun―and I hope are viewed positively by our kids. Things like family dinners, birthday and holiday celebrations, family outings, and serving and working together can be wonderful family legacies.

(See my older related posts Table and Auxiliary Kids)

  

Homeschooling is something that is a little more unique to our family. My husband and I decided that taking personal responsibility for raising and educating our children according to our values was one of our highest priorities, so that's what we did, and it was something new, something no one in either of our families had ever done. That experience growing up is now part of our adult kids' legacy, and I wonder if they will pass it on? As far as I know, they all view it as an overall positive!

Life values like respect, responsibility, kindness, generosity, curiosity, joy . . . and so many more . . . I hope these values are part of our legacy as well. Despite all the times that I've failed to demonstrate good and godly attitudes, or have managed to behave negatively instead, I hope that on balance the good is what will be remembered, and that we raised our family to value these positive things as well. Showing up and keeping commitments, doing our part to make the world a better place, practicing hospitality, focusing on the positives of life instead of being pessimistic and gloomy―these are character traits that we learn and can teach by example so that they become part of the personal legacy we pass on.

Without personal faith, those character values are pretty hard to develop! So of all the kinds of legacies we can leave, a legacy of faith and trust in God is the most important. We know that each of us must make our own personal decision and commitment to follow Jesus, and none can ride into heaven on the coattails of our parents or anyone else. But we can share our stories of both struggles and victories and how God has worked and is working in our lives. We can teach our kids the Bible and take them to church, and live what we believe to the best of our ability.

One of the first thoughts I had about this topic was a memory of this song from years ago. I remember singing it a special in church a couple of times, so even though I haven't heard it in ages, some of the words and enough of the melody came to mind immediately that it wasn't hard to find the lyrics and the recording. I think it sums up my thoughts well to include part of the lyrics here.

Children see us as we are

Not a distant star in their eyes

There's no pretending

Their lives are waiting to discern

All that they can learn from us

And who we've trusted

Love has to make a choice

Following one voice

That our hearts long to hear

Just to know

That everything we've done

Every word we've said

Every song we've sung

In this world

Where truth is hard to find

All we have to offer

Is the legacy we leave behind

We want you to find us

Living what is true

Lord, remind us

Of who we are in You¹

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable―if anything is excellent or praiseworthy―think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me―put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

~Philippians 4:8-9~

The apostle Paul seemed very confident that his life and teaching was a positive reflection of living for the Lord that he told the churches they could follow his example. And yet he knew his own past and his failings and didn't shy away from those. He knew that the legacy he was passing along was not his own goodness, but the goodness of God in his life. That is the most valuable legacy any of us can leave, the example of who to trust and follow.

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

~I Corinthians 11:1~

Tell Us About . . . is a monthly opportunity for bloggers to showcase their creativity. Each month one of the co-hosts will choose the word to focus on. On the third Thursday of every month we'll respond to the prompt "Tell Us About ---" which could be absolutely anything. And how we respond is also wide open. It could be a blog post with our opinions or reminscences; a poem, photos, a short story or whatever takes your fancy―it could even be a mix of all these! This month's theme is "Legacy" and our hostess is Leslie from Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After.

This post is linked at Tell Us About Legacy.

¹Source: LyricFind; Songwriters: Dick Tunney/Melodie Tunney; Legacy lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group

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