Legacy; How to spark generations
My alarm that morning was louder than normal, which meant one thing and one thing only; I’ve overslept. Catapulting out of bed, I did an immediate 180 to locate the culprit for my rude awakening. Digging furiously through my ensemble of pillows, I found my phone, and shut off all of the remaining backup alarms that were set for this exact scenario. Click click click click. “How does this always happen?” I groaned.
In hindsight, this was the typical Sunday morning routine for me. I’d set big aspirations to wake up early for church, even though those plans would inevitably be compromised by a sleepwalking — much more prone to the comforts — version of myself who’s always more interested in hitting snooze. Regardless, I was late, and already contemplating if this mission was worth the follow through, or if I should just abandon ship altogether for a couple extra zzzs. After all, sleep’s super important, right?
I somehow managed to dress myself and get out the door in record time, and was now panic driving while strategizing how I was going to keep it cool during my after worship walk of shame to try and find a seat. As one could expect, I made it, and unbeknownst to college boy J — probably no one cared or even noticed.
Now, there was a new goal on my mind, and that was drying up as quickly as possible from all the newfound sweat that had caked itself on me during my Sunday morning charade. The sermon was the least of my concerns, but little did I know, that was all about to change. Because you see, God had me in church on that blessed day for a reason; He was going to change my life forever.
This morning’s topic was about legacy, and how our actions today will influence future generations and our families. Real touching stuff, I know, but what really stuck with me was the video our pastor played of his father in law’s near final words.
To preface, pastor Sean talked at great length about how thankful he was to this man. Sean’s father in law was a devout follower of Jesus for the better part of his life, and was a person who was adamant about living a life of significance and passing on biblical principles to his children. Pastor Sean gave the man an enormous amount of credit for his influence on their family, and then dove right into how that love for God bled into various generations, both old and new, inevitably leading to the church that I was sitting in on that day in addition to all the other plants that were beginning their journeys around the world.
Eventually we got to the infamous video. It was a short clip caught just a few weeks prior, and was created to capture a short speech the father in law had made during his 90th birthday party. The man thanked God for all that he did in his life, highlighting all of the good he was already seeing in his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Pastor Sean then wept. The congregation soon discovered that video was taken no more than 2 weeks before the old man’s passing, and pastor Sean thanked the man in front of all of us for his leadership, the choices he made throughout his life, and his acceptance of Christ. Utterly moving stuff to say the least.
The message was clear; Sean’s father in law moved generations through his devotion to Christ alone. Because of his actions and influence, the man played a key role in a Godly mission that was far bigger than just one lifetime. It’s clear from the video that the old man knew this, but Pastor Sean was adamant about sharing those details even further, referencing how his wife’s belief has been one the foundational rocks that has bound their family together for so many years.
At the end of the clip, the man mentions briefly about how he’s ready to be with God when the time is right, and that he looks forward to the day when the future generations of his family join him in heaven. 2 weeks later, he passed away.
I share this story because it showcases manliness in its truest form. It’s the perfect finale of someone who made sacrifices for the greater good, and how those thousands upon thousands of decisions led to something far greater than one could ever imagine.
Now, Sean leads multiple churches around the globe, and it’s hard to think about whether or not that would have happened had this old man not led the life God wanted him to. A testimony like this really makes you think inwards, especially when you’re a young college student who thinks what he does today has no impact on tomorrow. As the old man debunked during his final birthday on earth, that mindset couldn’t be farther from the truth.
There are many more examples of people like this that don’t always get the recognition they deserve. Role models like George Washington quickly come to mind, as he was a prominent figure in American history that made a major sacrifice for the betterment of future generations. Most don’t know this, but Washington was posed to be this country’s first King. He forewent this formal political power after the war, because he believed taking that opportunity would be both inappropriate and dishonorable. In place of a monarchy, Washington proposed the 4-year term presidency that we know of today, arguing that republican government was not only possible but indeed noble. He ended up serving two terms, but would not serve another (even though everybody wanted him to). His peaceful transfer of presidency to John Adams in 1797 sparked one of America’s greatest democratic traditions, one where even King George III proclaimed Washington to be “the greatest character of the age.”
To summarize, Pastor Sean’s father in law and George Washington both acted towards goals bigger themselves. Goals that went far beyond a sole generation and self, and ones that need a great sense of faith and wisdom to be accomplished. We should thank these men, and view their lives as motivation for what God can do in ours. I might add, there are also many influential women who devoted their lives to this sense of selflessness too. Corrie Ten Boom, Joan of Arc, and Susanna Wesly are just a few of those examples, but there are countless other everyday female role models we can learn from that aren’t going to make any headlines or magazine covers soon.
What all this means is simple; Your actions matter. Today, and always. And they matter even if you don’t have money, fame, or influence.
What you do now has the power to affect generations.
Book recommendation about this:
Thanks for reading!