. Much has changed since 2011 in our family. Three of my children are now adults. One graduates this spring. The baby is now a ten year old. My beautiful grandmother passed away a little over a year after I wrote this post. She is still missed today. There have been many ups and downs that I couldn't have foreseen, even if it was only six years. The heart of the blog still remains. How we are and who we are speaks loudly. While I have been humbled by many experiences over the years, I still know that the legacy I want to leave is a Godly one.
As Thanksgiving Day nears, I have been busily preparing for the family
gathering that occurs yearly. It is a time of family, food, and
memories. Then, following Thanksgiving Day, we enter into the Christmas
Season. There we have established all sorts of traditions and memory
makers. I was encouraged in my reading recently about the importance of
these memories in creating a legacy for our children and their
children.
We all will leave an inheritance for our children in some way, shape, or
form. Whether it is a Godly inheritance or not is up to us. Whether
they accept it or not will be up to them. With all the traditions we
have in our family, I am grateful that, since my husband and I have
begun to follow Christ, we have desired to incorporate many Godly
traditions into our lives.
GOD'S WORD
Some of those traditions were natural. On Christmas Eve, my husband
reads the Christmas Story from the Bible. But reading the Word to our
children once a year isn't enough. We read to them often... daily if
possible, from the Bible or a Bible Story Book to our children. Our
homeschool is full of the Word of God, as well as Godly Christian
stories. It is important to us to train our children in the Word, for
the Word of God is truth. How will our children ever be able to tell
the lies of Satan if they don't know what the Truth of God is?
PRAYER
Prayer is powerful! We pray together often. At first this was
difficult. As a new Christian, leading my children in prayer was kind
of scary. But now I make sure my children see and hear me praying, and
that we are praying together. My husband and I, last year, passed on
life verses and blessings to our three oldest girls. This was a
powerful night that left a lasting impact on these girls, and it all
happened in the sanctity of our home around our dining room table.
These life verses have been powerful in our children's lives already,
and it has only been a year since they received them.
THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE US
I am blessed and honored that my children have gotten to spend time with
their great-grandmother. At 81, she has lived a full life. Her health
is not so great now, but for years she has been a foundation and an
example of Christ in our lives. She has served God for years. When she
was young, she was a traveling evangelist with her husband and a
talented singer. At the finish of my earthly work, I pray that God has
blessed me with the impact that this little lady has. Not everyone has
the benefit of Christians in our family tree. But, Christ can redeem
that and make us the first of a line of followers of Christ.
RECORDING HISTORY
For many years I used to scrapbook. While I one day hope to get back to
that, I still take many pictures. It is a joy to look back over the
pictures from years past and remember our family times together. Even
simple, everyday moments seem special years later. "Remember when we
did that?" "That was my favorite outfit then." "Remember how long your
hair was?" " That was right after I got saved!" These things are
precious and will last forever. When a fire happens, often the thing
most mourned that can't be replaced are the pictures. Take lots of
them. I have tons of pictures of things my children have done. The
pictures of them doing things for Christ have touched my soul. Their
children, my grandchildren, will get to see their parents and
grandparents getting baptized, acting in the Christmas pageant, singing
worship on stage, and even preaching!
TAKE THEM TO GOD'S HOUSE
It may seem obvious, but so many have strayed away from this vital
principle in building a spiritual legacy. Take your children to
church! Take them to where they can learn about God with other
believers. Encourage them to get involved in Kingdom work. Whether
your church is a building, a house church, or a Bible Study a couple
times a week with friends, being with other believers, studying the Word
and praying together, is something that is a gift from God. This world
wants to tear us down, but the fellowship with other true believers can
be an amazing encouragement.
HOMESCHOOLING
As silly as it sounds to many, homeschooling has become part of our
family legacy. My grandmother homeschooled my uncle in a day and age
when it wasn't acceptable. She had to fight to get the right to teach
her own child. I felt moved to homeschool, and in obedience, set out on
a path that has been life-changing for my entire family. My husband
and I have seen up close and personal the benefits of teaching our
children at home. My children now talk about homeschooling their own
children. I know this is not a choice everyone can make, but God led us
here for His purposes. One of those purposes, I believe, was to train
both my children and me and my husband in the things of Christ that have
been removed from public schools. We can get back what has been taken
from us as Christians.
MAKE NEW MEMORIES
As much as I love looking at the photo albums and scrapbooks and
remembering the past, I can't forget to make new memories. Time moves
on. Children grow up. Even if our legacy hasn't been very
Christ-honoring in the past, we can only ask for forgiveness and move
on. My husband and I weren't saved until my oldest was a young
teenager. Start fresh. Anoint your home with prayer and oil. Pray for
your children. Bless and not curse. It may start with something as
making dinner at the table a priority whenever possible. Have a family
game night or movie night. Go to church. Listen to some wonderful
Christian music together. Purposely make some good memories. It
doesn't have to cost a bundle either. Every year we drive around and
look at Christmas lights. We make Christmas cookies together. We look
for others that we can bless, even if it is with a loaf of homemade
bread or a plate of homemade cookies.
MORE IS CAUGHT THAN TAUGHT
Yes, it is true. More is caught than taught to our children. Our
lives, our examples, are important in the legacy we leave our children.
Do they see us praying? Do they see us reading our Bibles? Do they
see us worshiping the living God? Do they hear us talk of Christ?
Children tend to copy what they see. They want to know they are loved.
They want to see examples of selflessness, of service, of peace, of
contentment. They need to see positive, Christian examples before
them. Do they see us being obedient to Christ? Do they see us reaching
out to the poor? Do they see us caring for the needy? So they see us
having mercy and compassion on others?
I read somewhere that we are only remembered, on average, for three
generations. Stories from my great-grandparents are rare. I know that
they also served Christ in ministry. I know that they were simple,
humble people that sacrificed much to be obedient to God's calling. I
praise God for laying a foundation for my children years before I was
even born. Yet, will my great-grandchildren know about me? Will the
traditions and the spiritual legacy pass down from me to my future
generations? I don't control that, but I do know that I pray for it to
be so. My story isn't about me, it is about Christ. Only He will
endure.
A study was done on the life and legacy of Jonathan Edwards in 1900.
Jonathan Edwards was a preacher that gave the famous message, "Sinners
in the Hands of an Angry God". He touched many lives for Christ, and
was a doting husband and father. He blessed his children and spent time
with each eleven of his children. It was said that he would sit with
them for an hour each day, talking and praying special blessings over
each child. When his line was researched there were 1400 descendants.
-
285 were college graduates
- 300 were preachers
-13 were noted authors
- 65 were college presidents
- 100 were lawyers and one was a dean of a law school
- 30 were judges
- 56 were physicians and one was a dean of a medical school
- 80 held public office
- Three were United States Senators
- One was a United States Vice President
- One was Comptroller of the United States Treasury
- Over 100 were Christian Missionaries
What legacy are you leaving for your future generations?
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