“I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.” Psalm 145:1-7 (KJV)
In my heart is a picture of a great American, a compadre, a friend; circa 1970. He’s sitting cross-legged, on the ground along with other young twenty-somethings in battle fatigues. Jovial and friendly with everyone. Serious and thoughtful with those closest to him. Alongside that picture is a second one of his body lying on a poncho liner as we lifted it into the helicopter to be sent home, from South Viet Nam, to his family.
Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” St. John 15:13 (KJV) This young North Carolina patriot threw himself on an enemy grenade, which fell into his foxhole, saving the lives of his friends who shared it.
William James wrote, “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.” In God’s infinite wisdom, my friend’s life was short. Mine, on the other hand, has been preserved. He left a legacy that continues to live. An old song comes to mind, “What will I leave behind?” Solomon taught, “The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.” And again, “As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.” Proverbs 10:7 & 25 (KJV)
What sort of legacy will I leave behind? I certainly do not want it to be a rotten one, which disappears as quickly as a wind change. What, in the Kingdom of God, am I willing to give my life to?
Dear Father, thank you for your legacy of grace and mercy. Empower us to so live that an enduring legacy will be left to our posterity. Holy Father, I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today with an enduring legacy,