Sunday, September 30, 2012

Leaving a Legacy


Have you ever thought about the legacy you're leaving for your children and your grandchildren? What about the legacy that will be passed on to generations even further down the road?

Sometimes I think about the decedents I'll never meet. The ones who may be born a hundred years from now. Who will they be? Will they be people of faith? Will they have integrity? Will they be courageous? Will they seek God's face and His heart?

My greatest prayer is that all of these questions will be answered with a resounding yes. I've been praying for my decedents for years - and I will continue until the day I'm taken home to Heaven, because I believe that the fight for people yet to be born is already being waged today.

It's being waged in my home, in the way I'm raising my children, in the way I treat my husband, in the way I pursue the dreams that God has placed in my heart.

Each word I speak, each action I perform, each attitude I choose to exhibit are all seeds being planted into the hearts and minds of my children - and someday those seeds will mature in their lives and they will be like beautiful plants, deeply rooted in the soil of their hearts. Those plants will produce more seeds that will be planted into their children's minds and hearts and the cycle will continue.

The amazing thing about this principle is that it applies to good and bad seeds alike. If I want a lasting legacy of faith, integrity and courage to be handed down to future generations, then I must plant those seeds today - by living it out in front of my family. If I'm not purposeful in planting good seeds, then the seeds of weeds will be planted in my children's hearts and minds and that will be the legacy that is passed on.

I want future generations in my family to look back through our family tree and see that the legacy of faith was being planted for them a hundred or more years before they were even born.

What about you? Have you thought about the legacy you'll leave behind? What seeds are you planting today, that will be harvested by future generations?

16 comments:

  1. Great challenge to start out the week, Gabrielle. I just watched Monumental with Kirk Cameron and he talked about how the Pilgrims came here with a 500-year plan, not just to better their own little lives, but to give liberty to their descendants for generations to come. Wow. Such a different way of living - today it's all about what I have and what I can do RIGHT NOW - but do we even think about what our grandchildren and their grandchildren will need from us? I've been thinking about this all weekend long. Now I'm hearing it from you... I've learned that when the same message is repeated to me, that I need to pay attention because the Lord has something to teach me.

    Blessings, my friend,
    Becky

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  2. I think about this often. It's one reason I write in my Bible, date promises given and fulfilled and share insight God gives me. I want them to one day see it and know Mama heard from God. I also want them to be able to nod and say, "Yeah, we knew that. We saw it."

    Kids retain what's caught more than taught!

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  3. Such good stuff, Gabe. I don't have kids, but I do feel like I have moments when God reminds me I should be building and investing in others...my legacy isn't necessarily going to be the books I wrote or the great things I did (haha!) but the way I acted as Christ's hands and feet...impacting others for his kingdom...that's what counts. Again, good stuff!

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  4. Monumental has shapes how Shane & I feel also! Very deep convictions on what we are told to teach our children... the ways of the Lord! That's why we started praying about homeschooling & God turned our family to homeschooling once again. Our founding fathers got it right! Actually.... our little church out here in holdingford has our roots tracing all the way back to the pilgrims! Our faith, from our little church & what those founding men & women fought for for us is what we need to hold on to! I am so grateful for the rights that we have!!!! Thank you for re-affirming

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  5. Wow, Gabrielle. I have to admit I don't think about this as much as I should. In the day-to-day rush I sometimes feel like I'm just surviving, instead of sowing.

    This post is really making me think, about both the good and the bad seeds I plant. Praying I will be found faithful in these matters. Thank you so much for this post.

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  6. Becky - how awesome that God used my words to confirm something He's been talking to you about! I literally didn't know what I was going to write about until my fingers hit the keys last night, so I'm excited to know that God wrote right through me. I can't wait to see Monumental - it sounds like something I'd love.

    Jessica - I can just see your decendents recalling that crazy cool granny named Jessica! You are such a light of hope and faith - I know that the legacy you're passing on will be a deep and abiding kind. I feel blessed that God crossed our paths.

    Melissa - you've made an awesome point - the legacy isn't just passed down through our children. We are leaving a lasting legacy in our communities and in our world. Some people have a broader audience than others, but no matter where God has called us to plant seeds, we should do it and do it liberally.

    Debbie - I'm really intrigued now to watch Monumental. I also have roots that I can trace back to the Pilgrims in my family - and I love that the seeds they planted are still being harvested in America today. The seeds of the enemy are also being planted, but as Christians we have the power through the Holy Spirit to uproot those weed seeds and plant the seeds of the Kingdom - in our children and in our communities. Thanks for stopping by today, Debbie!

    Heidi - the beautiful thing is, even if we're not always intentional, we're still planting good seeds in the way we live our lives - and it's never too late to start planting those seeds in more abundance.

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  7. MMm, now that I have little ones I think about this daily. The responsbility of a quality legacy can sometimes be overwhelming but I know the Lord will give me the strength!

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  8. Hmmm...you've really made me think here. I don't have kids, so maybe that's why I don't often think about the legacy I'll leave with them yet. But I should.

    I do think one of my major drives is to do something significant that will be left behind and have an impact. But that doesn't have to be something grand and huge--it can just be the way I live my life, day in and day out, in the presence of the Master.

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  9. This is great. My husband and I were actually talking about this the other day. One of my big prayers and dreams for my son is that he will have a healthy marriage. And you're so right. It really starts with my husband and I illustrating what that looks like.

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  10. Great food for thought, Gabrielle! Since I don't have children, I think of the legacy of faith that I'll leave to my nieces and nephews, and the greater church at large. It takes focus and intentionality - and a whole lot of God's grace and strength. :)

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  11. I like thinking that I've planted seeds in our daughter's life and that she'll use some of what she's learned from her wonderful dad and from me as she parents her children.

    On a personal level, I like knowing I have story out there that can continue to reach readers for years to come, a story filled with a spiritual message that can enrich their lives.

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  12. Jaime - I'm so happy we've been able to connect. Thank you for stopping by today. It sounds like you're off to a great start with your young family. Children have such an amazing ability to bring out the best and the worst in us - it's good to be proactive and pass on the best we have to offer them.

    Lindsay - you're so right, this isn't only reserved for people with children - it's a call for all of us to live. We have the seeds of the Kingdom of Heaven in our hearts and God wants us to spread those seeds as far as our reach goes. You're doing an awesome job of that already!

    Julie - I think one of the most important things we can do as parents is get the conversation started - decide what we want to pass on to our children and then live it out in front of them. They learn more from our actions and our examples than anything else. I'm so happy you guys are already thinking about your son's marriage - that's awesome.

    Donna - you're so right! Wanting to leave the legacy is only part of the calling - accepting God's grace and strength to do it is the key ingredient in the mix. On my own, I don't have the ability - it's by His grace that I am able.

    Keli - I don't know your daughter, but just the little things I've learned about her from you, I know she's a beautiful woman from the inside out and both you and Gwynly have been amazing examples for her to follow. And, you're right, having a book in print is such a wonderful way to plant those seeds into the hearts and minds of others who read it. How awesome that God calls writers to further His Kingdom through the words on the page - what a calling that is!

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  13. My kids are older, and I can see the growth of the seeds we planted years ago. It's amazing to see the kind and caring adults that my kids have become. Each has chosen a career path that helps people who can't or have a hard time helping themselves - I know Jesus is smiling.

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  14. Great thoughts, Gabrielle! Honestly, I haven't thought much past daily praying over Micah, (my son) and pouring the Word into his life because I'm convinced our Lord is coming for His church--like, tomorrow. :-) But the Bible does say to live like we're staying, so I really should be thinking/praying about future descendants. I love your heart. Thanks for the awesome challenge. :-)

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  15. Love these thoughts, Gabrielle! Legacy is so important. I have 4 kids as well and think about this often.

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  16. Loree - isn't it awesome when we can see those seeds mature and bear fruit? I bet your children have amazing hearts to serve others. Thank you for sharing the success story of planting a lasting legacy.

    Gwen - I think about that, too. The Bible says that only God knows the day and the hour, so we're to live our lives like He's coming tomorrow - but also to plant with the expectation of a bountiful harvest. It's a tricky balance, but one He's called us to live - and, therefore, I know we can do it. Thanks for stopping by to say hello!

    Michelle - I'm so happy you stopped by today! I was just thinking about you and the post you shared after the Great Lakes Retreat with Colleen Coble - I've used the Online Etymology Dictionary link you shared about a hundred times already - and each time I do, I thank God that you led me to that site! Thanks. :)

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