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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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October 16, 2011

The Legacy…

One by one they took the stage.

Children, grandchildren, friends.
Although the stories varied from person to person, the sentiment was the same.

 Husband
Father
Grandfather
Great-Grandfather
Pastor
Friend

They all said the same thing.

He loved God and he loved others

The inheritance he left them would not be found written into a will.

His legacy was of an Eternal nature, not an earthly one.

His wife had asked if we would be greeters and we felt so honored.
You see, this man had poured himself into our lives, and the lives of countless others.
As we shook their hands and welcomed them to the memorial, we met their eyes and quickly realized we all shared a common bond of love and respect for this man.
And as his wife walked through the doors to enter the sanctuary, she embraced me and the tears I had been fighting finally overflowed.

He loved God and he loved others

It wasn’t rocket science, this philosophy of his.
And yet, we all know just how difficult it can be to live it out in our day-to-day lives.

But he did this.
He wasn’t perfect, but he lived every day striving to be more like the One who was perfect.
The One who is perfect!
And I know that when He finally met his Creator, his Savior, he heard the words,
“Well done, good and faithful one!”

Every time I encountered this man I left feeling better about myself.
I left wanting to pursue a closer relationship with God.
To pursue loving others more deeply.

And, as I sat in that pew listening to the testimony about this man’s life, I wondered about my own life.

Do others walk away from me feeling better about themselves?
Do I encourage them to pursue a closer relationship with God?
Do I show by my example how to love others more deeply?



You see, that’s how I want to be remembered.
Of course I want my husband to remember me as a loving wife, partner and best friend.
Of course I want my children to remember me as  the mother of all mothers!


But mostly, this is what I want people to say.
She loved God and she loved others



I want that to be my legacy.
Will He say, “well done” to me too?
Will He say, “well done” to you?


Thank you for joining me for this Simply Sunday at the Fence,


Vanessa

Legacy
by Nichole Nordeman


I don’t mind if you’ve got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who’s who and so-n-so’s that used to be the best
At such’n’such … it wouldn’t matter much
I won’t lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an ‘Atta boy’ or ‘Atta girl’
But in the end I’d like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
I don’t have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It’s an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy
Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, “Well Done” good and faithful one…

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13 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Simply Sundays

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Comments

  1. Judy says

    October 16, 2011 at 3:49 PM

    I hope that’s the affect I have on people. I always strive for that. Another powerful and thought provoking Sunday post. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. NanaDiana says

    October 16, 2011 at 4:09 PM

    What a powerful written testimony about a man that made such a big impression on you. What a wonderful person he must have been. I have always said that I hope people remember me for being kind…but this takes it to a whole other level…Wonderful message! xo Diana

    Reply
  3. Janet says

    October 16, 2011 at 5:19 PM

    I hope for the same legacy you and Nicole do. I love that song and haven’t heard it in some time. Thanks and God Bless, this and every day. craftythriftydecoratingwifemom.wordpress.com (new blog)

    Reply
  4. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    October 16, 2011 at 8:24 PM

    Oh, your dear friend sounds so much like my Granddaddy! He ALWAYS left people wanting more of him and the One he served. Like you, I pray my life will point people in that same direction.

    I hope your lesson at church went well today!

    Reply
  5. Ivy and Elephants says

    October 16, 2011 at 9:31 PM

    That was beautiful…but okay you were not suppose to bring tears to my eyes. That’s okay you brought joy to my heart and my soul. Thank you for sharing your spirit!

    Paula

    Reply
  6. andrea says

    October 16, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    You hit the nail on the head, girl. If only everyone on earth lived each day to be in closer union with the Lord and helped others to reach Him. andrea@townandprairie

    Reply
  7. Debbie says

    October 17, 2011 at 12:09 AM

    What a beautiful tribute to give him, that he loved God and loved others. He did indeed leave a lasting legacy.

    I have thought about my obituary many times. (yes, I’m morbid) and I really think I just want it to say simply, “She loved the LORD with all her heart and mind and soul and strength, and she loved her neighbor as herself.”

    That’s what I want to leave. That’s what I want others to see when they see me.

    Reply
  8. Karen says

    October 17, 2011 at 2:13 AM

    How special and beautiful. We all should strive to be remembered in a wonderful way.
    Kaern

    Reply
  9. Cindy says

    October 16, 2011 at 7:26 PM

    Another beautiful Simply Sunday post, thanks so much for sharing. I hope and pray for the same!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    Reply
  10. Wunkie's Mommy says

    October 17, 2011 at 3:52 AM

    one of my favotite songs 🙂 <3 wonderful post. exactly what I want to leave for my kids and their families. a legacy that leads them all to the cross <3

    Reply
  11. Grammy Goodwill says

    October 17, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    Well written.

    Reply
  12. Richella says

    October 17, 2011 at 5:29 PM

    Beautiful, beautiful. This is the legacy I want for myself.

    By the way, speaking of beautiful, I love the new photo of you in your sidebar! 🙂

    Thank you so much for linking this to Grace Imparted!

    Reply
  13. Lois' Laughlines says

    October 18, 2011 at 3:42 PM

    Will others who come behind me find me faithful? What a great reminder for me.Thanksfor sharing that.

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
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