Legacy

Have you ever had that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you stop and think about the brevity of life, and how little time you have left in the grand scheme of things, and whether your life will leave the legacy you had hoped? Maybe you didn’t think about it much over the years, and suddenly it hits you…”how will others remember me after I die?”

I recently read some thought-provoking words on this topic by Henri Nouwen.

He says this:

“Our death may be the end of our success, our productivity, our fame, or our importance among people, but it is not the end of our fruitfulness. The opposite is true: the fruitfulness of our lives shows itself in its fullness only after we have died. We ourselves seldom see or experience our fruitfulness. Often we remain too preoccupied with our accomplishments and have no eye for the fruitfulness of what we live. But the beauty of life is that it bears fruit long after life itself has come to an end.” 

(Our Greatest Gift, pp.35-36)

“Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” - John 12:24

I believe there is truth in these words. In the four years since my father passed away, I have sometimes reflected on his life, and when I do, the things that rise to the surface are not so much his faults and failures, but the sweet and good things about him, like his love of nature, childlike awe at seeing an eagle soaring through the blue, how he loved going for walks well into his older years, the sound of him playing the piano, his love for art, poetry, and books, and even his habit for being organized with his planner and appointments. And then I have this realization that I’m a lot like him. He left me a legacy of childlike wonder towards nature, a penchant for long walks, a love for music, art, poetry, and books, and his tendency to be detailed and organized. When I reflect on my father, these good things strike me as being the “fruitfulness” of his life showing up in its fullness after his death. Notice that what I remember most about my father has nothing to do with money, fame, or achievements. His values are what live on in me and in memory. 

This is an insight into what our legacies will be, the key to how we are remembered after death. It is what we stand for and how our lives exemplify those values while we lived. Usually it’s the little everyday things, adding up over time, that become the values for which we are remembered. Common, overlooked things like cooking healthy meals faithfully for your family over decades, reading stories aloud before bedtime, sharing walks and conversation, and enjoying God’s creation…these are examples of routines that reveal our values. I believe the legacies that make the deepest and most lasting impact are the simple, consistent actions we take on a daily and weekly basis that prioritize loving relationships, God’s goodness, and the beauty of creation. Quality time plants seeds of love consistently over years. The daily practice of the comforts of home grows roots of togetherness, comfort, and belonging, driving them deep, shaping who we are as individuals, families, and friends. Following God’s callings to use our talents rather than bury them becomes something God uses to impact others with his truth, his goodness, and his beauty. 

It’s not the big and flashy things that are remembered in a deep and lasting way. Instead, the small, faithful obediences practiced consistently over a lifetime are what God builds into something impactful and inspiring to others. Every story you read to a child, every soup you make for the table, every lesson you teach, song you play, poem you write, walk you take, conversation you have, card you send, encouragement you speak, hour you spend with someone who needs you…these little acts of love and faithfulness are each a small stone, but over time  - years, decades, a lifetime - they become a beautiful and influential legacy that continues to grow in the people you loved long after you are gone.

“What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” -1 Corinthians 15:36

By Heather J. Willis, author