Have you ever gone to a celebration of life service for someone who was a genuine servant of the Lord? I have. Typically they are precious times of listening to person after person share about the impact that this now-with-Jesus-saint had on their lives. More often than not, by the time the celebration is over, I’m thinking, “I wish I had been like them! I wish I had done what they did for people. I wish I’d shown I care like they did! I wish I had impacted people for the Lord’s Kingdom like they did!” Of course I know all of us are unique and the Lord uses each of us in different ways, but still, their legacy inspires me to live intentionally. What their celebration communicated to everyone was the rich legacy they had left for their loved ones—a life lived with values that demonstrated every day that there were more important things in life than “looking out for number one.” 

At what age does your legacy and mine begin taking shape? When do we start laying the groundwork? Should we wait to start thinking about it until after we’ve retired or after our kids have flown the nest? I believe it’s never too early and never too late to start building our legacy. 

Think about King David, whose legacy began as a boy when he faithfully cared for his father’s sheep, rescuing them from bears and lions whenever needed. Eventually, when he was but a teen, he ran toward rather than from the giant and landed a rock square in the middle of Goliath’s forehead, causing the Philistines to run for their lives! Legacy!

I’ve no idea of all of the legacy spoken of at Peggy or Christine Smith’s funerals in the 1950’s in the Hebrides Islands off the west coast of Scotland. You can be sure of one thing: someone there would have reminded everyone in attendance that it was these two dear sisters, one blind and the other bent over with arthritis, who, being 82 and 84 years old respectively, began praying for revival. They prayed for hours together, 2 nights every week. By 1949 God answered their prayers. A revival came that touched hundreds upon hundreds of people, including young people—which happened to be who these dear ladies prayed for the most. The answer to their prayers, what history records as the “Hebrides Revival”, swept through the islands from 1949-1952. What a legacy!

Recently I was thinking about the men’s conference that our church will soon have. It is for high school boys and 90-year olds and every man in-between. (Right now I’m thinking that would be a very challenging conference to put together!) As I thought about it I asked the Lord to put it on the heart of the speaker to realize they are speaking, not just to the young men who are there, but all the men, some retired, some who are in their late 80’s. I asked the Lord to give the speaker His message for our men, so their response would be more than, “That was a great speaker”. I want each of them to leave knowing that they have received a mandate from the Lord, a calling to step into His plans for THIS season of their lives, and a plan to act on that call. Now that would be a rich legacy!

Heavenly Father, it’s funny. When I sit at those celebration of life services and end up with all those “I wish I’d been(s)” going through my mind, you’d think I’d been concurrently sitting at my own funeral, comparing notes! Thank You Lord, that I wasn’t! I know that, if nothing else, I have today to live intentionally and impact other people’s lives, especially my own family. I want to leave a rich legacy. Not so words about me at my celebration of life one day will make me sound like I was related to Sister Theresa. No. It’s because long after I’m gone I want thoughts of me to remind those I leave behind that they were loved by me, they are loved by You, and living fully for You will always be a life well-spent. Lord, may my love for people go beyond just words. Help me to demonstrate my love to people, and use that love to communicate Your love to them.