Legacy

August 23, 2024 — Carol Brown

My last birthday marked my 75th year on this planet, three quarters of a century. My younger brother and I often discuss the fact that far more of our years are behind us than before us. It’s a sobering thought, and one that often brings the idea of legacy to mind. What am I going to leave behind that others will remember, and will they find something of value as my eulogy is read? Or will it be the opposite? Would I be more likely to be remembered for the tragedies that befell me than for how I triumphed over them by the power of the Holy Spirit living and working in me?

These questions prompted me to make a list of qualities and hallmarks that I’d like to comprise my legacy to my children, grandchildren, and all who come behind me. I find that they mirror the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

LOVE

Love that bears, hopes, believes, encourages, and always has time for other hurting hearts; love that reflects my Savior’s love for me.

JOY

Joy that is not eclipsed by sorrow, but lives side by side with it in quiet companionship; joy that is unafraid to express itself amid the grief and pain.

PEACE

A calm reassurance that God is both good and sovereign over the events of my life; He does not shield me from sorrow but walks with me through it, providing all I need as I am carried close to His Shepard’s heart.

FORBEARANCE

Patience with others who don’t understand me, or try to fix me, or ignore me, who think they know but don’t; patience that soothes my soul and keeps my words sweet.

KINDNESS

A heart that looks beyond the surface to see the need beneath; a generous spirit and a ready, helping hand.

GOODNESS

A strong moral compass; a preference of right over wrong as defined by God’s infallible Word.

FAITHFULNESS

A high regard for the trustworthiness of God; acting and depending upon that trust even when humanly speaking, my life doesn’t make sense.

GENTLENESS

A softness in my words that brings healing instead of further hurt or divisiveness; always speaking truth tempered with love and encouragement.

SELF-CONTROL

A restraint of my own ideas, thoughts, and actions so that the Holy Spirit can do His work within me; a deep desire to see God’s will completed in my life before the final curtain comes down.

I wish I could say that all these fruits have ripened in my life, but I am a work in progress. If the unexpected loss of my daughter has taught me anything, it is the uncertainty of life, and that I am not promised tomorrow. The crafting of my legacy must begin today and must be a priority. My legacy is not all about me. It is about the Kingdom influence I have on those in my circle, and how that influence may lead them closer to God and His Son Jesus.

We all have that opportunity through the platform of child loss. We can “tell the story of how we’ve overcome” as the old song says. We can be the light that shows other grieving parents the way to hope and healing. We can testify to the glory of a God who has always been our provision and refuge.

As we continue to labor in the fields, producing the fruits of the Spirit, we are cementing our legacy for generations to come.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 3:13-14