Legacy

As all these American icons have passed on over the past 2 weeks, many are reflecting on the legacies left behind by Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Michael Jackson, Billy Mayes, and Steve McNair. People are exalting what are perceived legacies and even in their deaths, legacies are created.
My senior year of high school I dwelt on what legacy our class would leave. We were the guinea pig class- the first to go from kindergarten to graduation. But that legacy wasn't enough for me. I hoped that our leadership would make a difference in the classes and lives that followed. I didn't want to be remembered as the senior who ignored those in the "lower classes."
This past week I got a taste of our legacy. The guidance counselor from my high school invited me and several other alumni to speak on a panel to the upcoming seniors- the 8th graders of our senior year. Three people from my class plus two other alums were in attendance. The guidance counselor opened with a bit of background for each of us. She started out by talking about our class and the standard we set. A standard which I was unaware of. She spoke of the way our class made it through the year only by the grace of God and leaning upon each other. She said that this set a precedent for the succeeding classes. A legacy of community. I was so encouraged, because I really did make it through that year by relying on God and my classmates. To know that others were leaning on each other because of my family brought great joy to my heart.
Where are you at in your life now? What legacy are you leaving behind you? Are you leaving one? May you be leaving a legacy of God's incredible goodness.