What is your legacy?

Mary Dozier Shouse, my maternal grandmother taught me a lot about life and love. Some of her lessons were practical life skills. My cousins and I learned all the finer points of Canasta from Grandma. And I never would have passed my driver’s test if she had not showed me how to parallel park using salt and pepper shakers on her kitchen table.

The card playing and parking skills have certainly come in handy. However, my grandmother’s true legacy came from the example of her life. Here are a few of the valuable things I learned:

1. Love is often best expressed in small ways – Grandma constantly showed her love to her children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors by letting us know she was thinking about us. For instance, I regularly received clips of articles or recipes in the mail she thought I might like. And although she could not afford gifts everyone received a card from her on their birthday with a dollar bill in it. When a grandkid got married, their spouse began to receive their birthday card and dollar too!
2. Joy can be found in simple things – My grandmother was almost childlike in her wonder of God’s world. She loved rocks, flowers, and birds. She found pleasure just in looking at them.
3. Peace can be found in difficult circumstances – My grandmother lived a hard life. When her mother died at age 11, her father shipped her off from one relative to another. Then verbal abusive and control marred her marriage. Yet, through it all, my grandmother was full of joy and peace from her heavenly Father.

This is the legacy my grandmother left me. Lessons about life, love, and God that have eternal value. Her positive influence on me has often made me reflect on what kind of legacy I will leave my children and grandchildren. What will I leave that has eternal, lasting value?

The grass withers and the flowers fade but the Word of our God stands forever (Isa 40:8). The truths of God are eternal. They have the power to make an eternal impact on my children. What am I doing to pass the legacy of God’s Word to them? I try to follow God’s directive to the people of Israel. I try to set a godly example. I talk to them about the things of God. I take advantage of circumstances to teach them from God’s Word. (See Deut 6:6-9)

What are you doing to leave a valuable legacy? Share your thoughts with us!

Blessings!  Kathy Howard

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