A Lesson On Legacy
Legacy: gifts passed down to generations. Gifts of values, knowledge, and love. Legacy is what a person leaves on this earth when they pass.
Recently my family lost our patriarch; my grandpa. A man so full of life that it’s hard to accept that he isn’t still walking this earth. A man who connected with others in a way that I’ve never seen before. A man who was absolutely one of a kind. And a man who left behind an unforgettable legacy.
As our family gathered together to celebrate his life, a theme became very clear.
Legacy
My grandpa’s legacy is one that will continue on through future generations. It’s a legacy that is an honor to be a part of.
If you met my family, one thing would be very clear.
We are all uniquely different.
When my brother shared at my grandpa’s celebration of life, he pointed out an incredible quality that my grandpa carried. He found a way to connect with every member of his family, even in all of our unique qualities and differences.
As I think more and more about how he did this, I realized that it’s because we all carry a piece of him in us. One that he could find and connect with.
This is how his legacy will live on - through each of us. He instilled in all of us a piece of his uniqueness; whether in values, wisdom, or love. As we move forward in life, we each bring to the family a special quality or characteristic from him.
I call this The Sumner Legacy.
This led me to dig deeper into the legacy of God.
“So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27
We are all made in His image. As we discover more of Him, we discover more of ourselves! We begin to see His reflection within us.
“For you have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created you; giving you the full revelation of God.”
Colossians 3:10
What does this mean to us?
It means:
New Life
Revelation
Likeness
Truth
Renewal
And most importantly,
A personal relationship
We get to have a personal relationship with the Creator of everything! We are able to spend every day pursuing Him, learning more about Him, and discovering who He has called us to be.
What an honor that is!
And it doesn’t end there: As we continue to grow and discover who we are in Him, we are able to reflect His glory to those around us. We have the privilege to share His truth and love!
But you know what is even more beautiful?
Since God is our Creator, He knows each of us individually and calls us to share Him in different ways.
We each bring a uniqueness of Him, one that no one else has to offer. And when we come together, like pieces of a puzzle, we become one in God and show His truth and love in the most perfect way!
“And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness into the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one into a perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed into the abundance of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-13
Have you seen God’s reflection within yourself?
Have you discovered His unique calling on your life?
Have you surrounded yourself with others who help piece the puzzle together?
My friend, you are a part of God’s legacy. A part that is unique and necessary.He created you because He wants YOU!
I am so grateful for my grandpa and the life he lived. I am thankful that he is my grandpa and I am his granddaughter. Words can’t express how much I appreciate the legacy he left within each of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Most importantly, I am thankful that the Lord showed me how The Sumner Legacy is a beautiful reminder of what it means to be a part of God’s Legacy and the power that is within each of us because we are created in God’s image.
Xoxo,
Sarah
