Leaving a Legacy That Matters

You are leaving a legacy, lasting memories, habits, and examples to those around you. 

What will you be remembered for?

As a Christian, you should desire to be remembered as loving Jesus, being faithful to serve Him, being faithful to church, and living in a way that brings others to Him. Our lives should be a billboard that shows the world Jesus is real and worth following. 

As a wife and mother, that is also my desire for my family. For them to see Christ in me and that they’ll choose to give Him their lives, too. I want to be remembered as a godly, loving wife and mom.

I want my children to remember that I loved their dad. I want to be a faithful wife. Not just to my husband physically, but emotionally, as well. I want to be faithful to my wedding vows. Even the one that said I’d stay in sickness, poverty, and in the for worse times. I want to be faithful to love, honor, respect, support, pray for, and encourage my husband every day. 

I want them to remember that I was there. Present in the day-to-day things. Not on my phone or spending my days away from them. I want them to look back on their homeschool years and be thankful that I tried to educate them according to biblical standards. I want them to remember me being at their games, teaching them responsibility, assigning chores, and having cake on Tuesday just because we can. I want them to remember our junk food and movie nights. I want them to look back on our way too many Dunkin’ stops and laugh. They know I am not perfect. I tell them often that I have never done this before, and I am trying my best one day at a time. I let them know they’ll grow up and form opinions of their own for the way they were raised, and that is okay. I just want them to remember that hindsight is always 20/20.

I want to model healthy habits, wise choices, and unconditional love to them. As any mom would. But being in the gym 5 days a week, Sunday afternoon meal preps, a perfectly spotless home, green smoothies, climbing the corporate ladder, a wall of degrees, and strict routines are not my desire. These are all fine things. Don’t think I am advising you to not take care of your body, home, or finances. That’s not what I am saying. Do those things. But don’t be so consumed with them that you leave the things that do matter undone. 

Eternity is a long time, and I do not want to spend it without my children. Their salvation was a prayer for a long time. Life is hard, people are mean, and there are many choices they’ll have to make. I desire to equip them to the best of my ability to handle those things. The only way I can do that effectively is to point them to Jesus. To keep them in church, teach them Scripture, how to pray, and to live out my own faith in front of them.

If all my legacy turns out to be is: “She loved Jesus, her family, and she lived what she said she believed; which makes others trust Jesus, too”, then that is enough for me. 

I don’t have an earth-shattering salvation testimony, I got married and became a mother at a very young age, I have made mistakes, lost my temper with my kids, had stupid fights with my husband, and I’m currently spending my life being at home with my children rather than doing anything society would classify as an accomplishment. But these things do not dictate whether God can use me.

Do not compare your path to that of others. I have ladies on my social media that do all the things I mentioned above. You know what? That’s incredible. I am happy for them and the things they are teaching their kids, for the lives they are building. But, I also get a little envious. Satan does that. He wants you to be discontent with what you have. 

God has not short-changed you in any way. If you need to unfollow, take a break from, or altogether remove social media to keep your contentment and godly focus, then go for it. Serve God joyfully where He has you.

When I see a friend at the gym daily, traveling, or going back to school, knowing she has no children changes my perspective. I could do all of those things, too if I wasn’t a mom. Her path isn’t mine and I can’t compare the two. Neither can you.

So, whatever your story, wherever you are, God loves you and can use you, too. You just have to let Him.

He will give you the leading and wisdom required to leave a legacy that matters. 

Stay in the Word, stay close to the Shepherd, and let Him lead you in paths of righteousness.

With Hope in His Service,

Heather