On my 50th birthday a good friend of mine had her daughter, who was one of my students at the time, give me 50 words for my birthday. Some of the words she gave to describe me were "Twinkles," "The Best Teacher I've Ever Had" (the bar is low when you are only 5) and "Puts Her Faith in God." One of my absolute favorites is, "Loves Us Very, Very Much." It makes me so happy when I know that my students know that I love them very, very much.
When my friend gave me the gift she said, "I know how you love words." I truly had never thought about it but I do love words. I have a book full of quotes I have collected over the years. I have quotes all over my craft room and I love fabric simply made up of words.
My favorite word right now is LEGACY. I was thrilled when I realized the sermon was going to be on "legacy" this morning. From Webster's Dictionary: "Legacy: anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor." It has been exciting to watch the legacy of my family unfold. My parents, my siblings, and my children have all served different populations marginalized by society. As my dad always said, "We have been blessed to be a blessing."
Sometimes I think we put too much pressure on ourselves regarding our legacy. If we extend grace to someone and they learn to extend it to someone else, we have left a legacy. If we demonstrate compassion to someone with a disability and give them a platform to share their gifts, we have left a legacy. Best of all, if we share Christ with someone and they in turn do the same, we have left a powerful legacy.
When you wake up in the morning, think about the legacy you want to leave for today. What do you want to hand down that will make a difference today?
Remember those who led you,
who spoke the word of God to you;
and considering the result
of their conduct,
imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7
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