Leaving a Legacy

As I looked around the room, I struggled to comprehend my surroundings.  Things looked familiar, yet different.  Design elements and architecture that were timeless, yet dated.  There was a view of the river from the window that was comforting and ever present, yet shared by each generation for almost 300 years.

As I stood in this historic plantation, the tour guide revealed that I was standing in a room where each of the first ten Presidents of the United States had stood.  I wonder what business they had in this room.   Was it mostly social or was it political?  What was life like back then? What impact had each of these individuals had in our history and how was their legacy still affecting the current state of our nation?

There was a sense of awe and reverence as I considered the lives that had passed through this very spot –  George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler and countless others. 

And then, my thoughts shifted… they wandered to imagine what legacy I may be leaving for my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Although I am an ordinary person, not a famous politician or even a well known author, I know that God can do extraordinary things in and through my life.  I want to be known for living a life for Christ and for loving the Father with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.  That’s the best legacy I can leave for the future generations of my family, and I pray that by the grace of God, I’ll be successful in doing so. 

You too, are leaving a legacy.  What will it look like?

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

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