Our Legacy

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in my family’s history, but that interest has only intensified in recent years. Armed with my family tree software, I love to sit at our computer and fill in the missing puzzle pieces---to make those connections between the present and the past. And I love to hear those personal anecdotes from my relatives. Where do my dimples come from? Where did I get my love for cooking? Who do our boys resemble?

But there are deeper, more significant questions, too: What caused my great-great grandpa’s life to change so dramatically after moving to America from England in 1888? How did my mentally-impaired great-uncle enhance the lives of everyone in his small town? What turned my grandparents’ lives around in the early 70's? The answers to these questions are what I wish to remember...to pass on to our boys.

My parents have wisely answered these questions...it’s all about God’s work in and through these branches on my family tree. My ancestors weren’t perfect...they didn’t necessarily stand out in a crowd...yet God used the simple lives of these who have gone before and used them to radically impact this world for Him. My generation has been told of the glorious deeds of the Lord, we’ve heard of His unchanging character, and we’ve celebrated the wonders He’s done throughout our family's history.

We, likewise, are passing the baton on to our boys. We’re sharing with them the stories of family members they’ve never known...we’re identifying the faces in old black and white pictures. We don’t want these ancestors to be simply a name or a face. We want our boys to learn from the experiences of our family members...to bear witness to God’s constant involvement and grace in our lives. We long for them to be spurred on in their faith and encouraged to set their hope in God and walk with Him all the days of their lives. This is our legacy.

"Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might,
and the wonders that He has done.
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep His commandments."
Psalm 78:1-7