Leaving (Living) A Legacy

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

My daughter leaves for college in just about a month. It is amazing how fast time really flies. It just seems like yesterday when she was born and now 18 years later she is coming into her own. This has obviously sent me reflecting and thinking about my roles and what I want to be remembered for. Was I a good father, was I there when she needed me, and did I instill the proper values into her to last a lifetime? Some of those can be easily answered while the last one won't be answered until the very end. Actually in the end when we come face to face with God we will need to look back and see what legacy we have left. It is that legacy that will define us and it will be that legacy that we will be remembered for. All of us have sinned and fallen short of what God really wants for us but it is how we lived our lives that will be reviewed. We all have our highs and lows throughout our lives. There will be things we wish we could change or things that we wish we had done better. The bottom line though I believe is what have we leave behind, not the tangible items but rather the things that we are truly remembered for.

Living and leaving a legacy is not about prestige. That is the world view in which how much we have gained or how important we are is what matters. In God's eyes it is the opposite. Rather it is how we have lived and what we have really done with what He has given us that counts. It is more relational than tangible is the best way I can summarize it. Our legacy should be about impacting and not accumulating. I have seen people in poverty that are happier than some of my neighbors. They are not caught up in the rat race and are living out the Gospel in their lives. They feel fulfilled and their legacy will be based on how they have treated and blessed others. Within my circle of friends I have a friend named Dave who is an advocate with Compassion like myself. Before I ever met him I knew about "Compassion Dave." His legacy is the love he has for this ministry and his love for seeing children sponsored. He earned his nickname by his dedication. It is not a title but rather a honorarium for the work he puts forth.

So what will define me? I will be known as husband, father, friend, children' ministry leader, hard worker, Christian...all adjectives. In the end I truly hope that (like Dave) I will be know for my ministry. As I have stated many times before my life changed in 2007 when I met my sponsored child. I saw the difference that my sponsorship was making in Linda's life and I spent the time to truly check out Compassion International. I am now invested fully in this ministry both personally and relationally. To me the job will not be done until there are no more children to release from poverty. I know we all can't wait for those words from God: "Well done good and faithful servant" but I have this special dream. It is part of Linda's legacy that she brought me into this ministry...as a result my work is also her work. I want to stand in heaven with her and look out and see the difference we made together. This is what I call the ripple effect. Because of her tears and her smile my life changed. Every sponsor I have talked to, every child I have seen sponsored~each of those has happened because of that initial impact. My decision to sponsor her is like throwing that stone into a pond. As I met her and my life changed and hence other lives changed those are the ripples. It will be amazing to see what has been done and that will be my legacy.

It is my prayer that each of you will think about what you want your legacy to be. Take the time to reflect, pray and then act. It is my prayer that you bring your legacy to fruition and truly make a difference.

Chuck is a Christian husband and father who has served in part-time ministry for 17 years, and is a deacon at his church. He has been a Compassion International Advocate/Area Coordinator for several years, finding families to sponsor Compassion children throughout the world. His passion is letting others know how important it is to release children from poverty. Be sure to check out his blog, Sharing Compassion.