A Legacy

"A legacy isn't optional. It's impossible to not leave one. Everyday, every choice, every moment, you build your own legacy, little by little. This legacy is what you leave behind when you die, the inheritance you pass along to others...leaving a strong-God-glorifying spiritual legacy never happens by accident; it is never the path of least resistance. It is intentional and begins with understanding how a spiritual legacy can be formed." Paul David Tripp, "Broken-Down House"

I wanted to share this author's quote that was in our bulletin this past Sunday. What a great statement and something to ponder. A couple things jump out to me...first, our legacy is not optional. We have an impact on those around us whether we desire that or not. Our decisions effect other people. Our decisions and beliefs matter. Without realizing it, we pick up habits at a young age. I see this in Hadley as she imitates all my behaviors. She is 12 months old and does not know what a spatula is, but she copies me by trying to flip over her grilled cheese sandwich. She has no clue what blush or bronzer is (nor how important it is), but she knows that I use a brush to put it on my cheeks. She watches me, she admires and she copies. Wow. If she does this with grilled cheese and makeup, what other things will she also watch and imitate. Will she see how I respond to my husband/her dad? Will she see the things that I place priority on? Will she see the way I communicate? Will she see how and who I worship? You bet she will...

And here in lies the second part of the quote that struck me...it is intentional. We can't decide whether we do or don't want to leave a legacy, but the type of legacy we want to leave is a matter of choice. We can intentional choose to live our lives in such a way that we honor God in all that we do. And it must be intentional because otherwise we can quickly fall for any of the other things demanding our attention, time and energy. The world screams at us to "accept everything" and "if it doesn't bother me than what's the big deal" and that is a scary place to live. If we have nothing left that we are willing to stand for and die on than what kind of legacy are we truly passing on. If we want to pass on acceptance, pass on the Gospel of grace, but don't pass on a complacent attitude.

"So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit." Matthew 7: 17

I am so thankful for the many people that have passed a legacy onto me. You have stood grounded in truth and have spoken volumes to me without knowing it. You intentionally choose to follow the path of least resistance, and I thank you.

And I just feel the need to also say that I am married to my very best friend in the world and cannot thank God enough for letting me be the one that gets to spend a lifetime with him. He is an amazing dad to Hadley and if possible, an even better husband to me. Bobby, I adore you.