Sometimes you get to see your legacy, sometimes not. As a pastor for 34 years, people have come and gone. Sometimes you see the spiritual legacy of transformation from your ministry influence. Occasionally, you wonder if you have really made any difference. Mostly, I’m blessed to see a visible legacy. Especially, I’m seeing my family legacy unfold.
My one-day old grandson clasping my finger.
This week, our baby, had twin babies. She is our 30 year-old baby. She is our youngest of three. Our sons are 34 and 37. And, we already have two delightful granddaughters that are nearly 4 and 8. But, this week we saw our legacy in a new way. Our athletically gifted, career focused, hard-charging, full-speed ahead daughter is a wonderfully caring and loving new mommy. She constantly adores and expresses her love for her new son and daughter.
Charissa and son, Noah
You see, the girl who never wanted to do baby-sitting as a teenager but spent all of her free time on the soccer field training for a full-ride college scholarship, frequently verbalized self-doubt about being a good mother. During her pregnancy, Charissa had difficulty visualizing her role as a mother. Her husband Jonathan reassured her she would be a fantabulous mother. She is. It’s clearly visible in the first week since their births. No doubt about it!
Charissa and daughter, Haley
I’m grateful for a visible legacy. My wife’s amazing mother-of-the-year heart and skills have reached down to the next generation. Our son in-law is showing all the signs of being an incredible daddy to his twin babies during his first week of fatherhood. His superb parents also have a visible legacy to watch and enjoy.
I don’t know what the next years will hold for these sweet new grandchildren who are only a few days old. But, by God’s grace, the sculpting and molding through their parent’s example will go a long way to assure the legacy will continue. I’m already seeing the legacy passed on in the hearts of our older granddaughters through our son and daughter in-love—at ages of almost 4 and 8–they are tender toward God, loving Him and others deeply. I envision all four of these grandchildren to become astonishing human beings. History has a way of repeating itself.
Our son in-love Jonathan Higdon with the twins.
King Solomon got it right in the Hebrew scriptures: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). That passage isn’t a money-back guarantee. And I’m thinking it is more descriptive than prescriptive. When I was a young parent, that was a sobering scripture. But as a grandparent, it is now gratifying and reassuring. I now get to see the fruit of, not perfect, but excellent parenting which is leading to another generation of outstanding parenting. The future looks bright!
QUESTION: What is one visible legacy that you are getting to see? I’d love to hear it in the comment section below.
3 responses to A Visible Legacy