Legacy
Psalm 1:1-4
How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand in the pathway with sinners,
or sit in the assembly of scoffers!
Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lordʼs commands;
he meditates on his commands day and night.
He is like a tree planted by flowing streams;
it yields its fruit at the proper time,
and its leaves never fall off.
He succeeds in everything he attempts.
Not so with the wicked!
Instead they are like wind-driven chaff.
The NET Bible
It’s been too long since I’ve posted a blog entry, but a cold, rainy day in Texas seems like as good a time as any to start. With a change in seasons, one tends to contemplate the meaning of life. Especially when someone in your sphere of relationships passes away. The big chill swept through Texas yesterday, dropping the temperature 30 degrees, and an equally sudden departure in the last few days led to conversations in our family about legacy.
Consider Psalm 1; "Blessed be the man…" it says in more traditional translations. Since most of our friends and family are christians of one sort or another, we tend to take it for granted that each one will leave a legacy like the man in Psalm 1. He yields fruit in due season and succeeds in everything. He is like an old fruit tree that may be gnarled and droopy, but that has yielded fruit for many years and fed the family faithfully. Even in it’s passing, it’s branches will provide heat for the fireplace, or perhaps even a beautiful peace of cherry wood furniture! If you have a full orchard of fruitful trees, you might tend to take this one for granted.
But then, when suddenly, someone you know passes away suddenly, and you notice that he didn’t follow the Lord faithfully, you observe that his legacy is quite different. His life didn’t look all that different when he was alive, but on his passing, the lawyers and bill collectors expose all of his dirty secrets. Not only did he not leave a monetary legacy to his children, but instead he left a mountain of bills and debt. His fortune was like the wicked in Psalm 1, who’s end is like wind-driven chaff. There is a gust and a cloud of dust, and then everything is gone. There is nothing left but the itch under your collar from the chaff that lodged there. Sadly, this was also the fate of my acquaintance. Everything was blown away in the wind, and the family that was left behind was left with irritations, chaffing (as it were) against one another, arguing about the few remaining positions in the will. So sad.
I am so grateful that my parents and in-laws that have passed on, left a Godly legacy. They didn’t leave a fortune in gold, but they left the world a better place. They provided for those they left behind, and were fondly remembered by all who received their kind help and companionship while they lived. What a blessing… Like a tree planted by the water that bears sweet fruit in proper season.
So what legacy will you leave behind?
