Legacy

Have you heard this song before? 

{I love Nicole Nordeman.  I love her songs and her voice is awesome!}

I am trying to focus on what my legacy will be or what I hope and pray it will be.  Have you ever really thought about it?  I have definitely thought about what my legacy will be for my daughter and maybe for her children, but what about her children's children... and their children? 

Fern Nichols, Founder and President of Moms In Touch International, was speaking on the radio the other day and oh, I wish I could find the clip but I can't.  She was saying how unbelievably much we impact so many future generations.  There was one mom about 250 years ago who was a strong Christian and shared her faith with her children.  She lived a very selfless live.  Fern listed the numbers of doctors, CEOs, college professors, college presidents, etc that had come out of her legacy.  It was amazing.  Fern then talked about another mother who lived around the same time who was an alcoholic and was labeled by others as a "taker".  Her legacy was left to about 107 children born out of wedlock, 80 something "working women", and over 3.2 million dollars had been spent on her family by the state through jail costs and I assume welfare payments.  Now, I am not saying and neither was Fern that every single offspring from the two women turned out "good" or "bad". 

But I am asking what kind of legacy do you want to leave?

How do you want your future generations to be labeled?

Loving?  God fearing?  Positive?  Generous?  Joyful?  Hard-working?  Loyal?  Selfless?  Intelligent?  Empathetic?  Confident?  Driven?  Purpose Driven?  Passionate?  Funny?  Disciplined?  Purposeful? 

What do you want to be said about you at your funeral? 

When your children say "Wow, I am turning into my mom!" what do you want them to be doing or saying?

I have caught myself thinking that in both not so good ways and in some positive ways. 

It is amazing to me how much work it takes to improve upon the previous generation.  Maybe that's just me?  I do not blame my parents for anything and love them to pieces.  My mom and I have become very close and I cannot wait for the day she comes to live by us!  But... that does not in anyway mean that their "legacy" to me has been all rainbows and roses.  I struggle with certain things like organization, being an obedient wife, being a wife and mom after God's own heart, handling finances, devotional times, praying out loud, always talking freely about God, feeling unconditionally loved, etc.  Not because my mom did a bad job.  Playing catch-up is harder than having things come as second nature because you have been continuously exposed to them.  I think about some of those things that I struggle with and it's simply because I was just never taught or shown how to do them or how to be those things.  Therefore, it just takes me a little bit longer to "catch up".  We all have things we need to play "catch up" with. 

I do not want my daughter to have to "catch up" on so many things.  I want her to start ahead of the game so that she can improve that much more. 

There are definitely qualities and skills that I want her to have and I really think that the way for her to gain most of those is by seeing the example that I am.  Wow!  That is scary?!?  And intimidating!  And challenging!  And a reason to pray!  Pray, pray, pray!  It is also a reason for me to improve myself, but I can only be the woman (and example) I want to be with God's amazing grace.

The most important, foundational legacy and example I want to give her is that she has

a mom who truly, deep down loves God and who shares with everyone the amazing grace we are offered by the way she lives and the words she speaks. 

Do you have a summed up version of what you want your legacy to be??