A Page From The Journal

Vintage-inspired stories, quiet living, nostalgic comfort, and treasured faith for Old Souls.

The Greatest Legacy We Leave Behind

Jun 4
2 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Mother reflects on the legacy she is leaving her children

This morning I paused over a verse in scripture. I love that. I love it when the Holy Spirit highlights something. It is always relevant and gives me an insight needed at just the right time.

Psalm 90:12

“Teach us the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”

The older I get, the more I understand the wisdom of that verse. Life is precious, but it is also brief. When we remember that, our priorities begin to change.

I have had this topic on my mind for a while. It came about in conversation with my husband shortly before he passed away. We were discussing his legacy. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. That puts things in perfect perspective. All the meaningless things quickly fall away and what you are left with is what matters most.

Before his illness he was a driven business man. He worked hard for what he built, and he always thought it would be his legacy. But as he got older he was drawn closer to God. Formed a relationship and discovered a deeper meaning to life.

Things pass away. But one thing remains. Relationships. Our relationship with God above all else, but also our relationships with others.

I treasure the deep discussions my husband and I had during that fragile time in his life before his passing. I clearly remember him asking, “What is my legacy?”. Indeed, what will people remember most about us when we no longer walk this earth and reach our final home?

I have thought deeply about this. Preparing for my husbands memorial was a time of great reflection. How do you sum up someone’s life in a couple of hours?

What imprint did he leave? What imprint will I leave?

I can tell you with certainty. It won't be things. It will be moments—conversations, a laugh, a silly expression, a tender memory. It will be the things I stood for, the way I treated others. That will be my legacy. My faith. Because that is what defines me.

I am so very thankful for my relationship with Christ. I am thankful for the faith my family passed down to me. I am thankful that despite the winding journey I got there in the end. I am thankful my husband got there too. That he found the importance of knowing Christ. His last moments were a reflection of that devotion. He figured out his legacy.

This shift in perspective is best reflected in Matthew 6:19-21. I especially love how the Amplified version ends:

“Do not store up for yourselves material treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart, your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers will be also.”