A legacy worth leaving

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

I feel like I need to start this post off with an apology for not having a post last week. Daniel's grandma passed away last week and that put everything on hold. Her funeral was Friday and her burial on Saturday in Missouri.

When death comes you think about things that you wouldn't think of regularly. I don't know about you but I forget that we aren't promised tomorrow, and that our lives are like a vapor. There are a couple of thoughts that have been in my head these last few days and if it is okay I'm going to share them with you. But first I want to introduce you to Daniel's grandma Donna Barks:


grandma at the sand dunes. 
On their wedding day


Grandma had been very sick the past few months and in a lot of pain for the last few years, and while we will miss her terribly, today I am thankful for her healing. Today she is in no pain, and we take comfort in that.

Grandma Barks has given us the greatest gift one could give, and that is peace. We know that right now she is at the feet of Christ, and there is no greater place to be.

We are told that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, and if I die tonight,  my girls and the preacher will have peace knowing where I am. Because there is no doubt in my mind that when it is my time to go I will join my Grandma Wiley and Grandma Barks and several others that have gone before me and we will worship the King of Kings together. There is no greater gift that I could give my family. (I have to quickly ask, can you give your family that same gift?)

The Barks family have a cemetery in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, which is about 8-9 hours away. We had a lot of time with the family on the car ride up there. In that time we talked about grandma and the guys talked about their favorite memories of her.

on of my favorite photos of grandma and grandpa




What I couldn't help but think about were the things we weren't talking about. Not once did anyone say how clean her house always was, or how great of a dresser she was. Nothing about how well behaved her children were, or how great of a blogger she was (ok technically grandma never had a blog but you can see where I'm going with this).

What was talked about was the time grandma took the boys fishing, the memories she made, how great of a mother she was, and the legacy of loving Christ that she left behind.

I've really been thinking about this, when I'm gone do I want my girls to talk about my blog or my pictures, or about the fun memories that we made. Do I want them to say "mom always kept the house so clean" or "I loved all the crafts we did together at the table".

What kind of legacy do I want to leave?

Do my actions today reflect that or something different?

What are my values, right here and right now?

My girls are growing so fast, and once a moment is over it is gone. I want to make these moments last, give my girls memories to love. Now I know that I have to live in the real world and I can't do nothing but play with them all day long. I know I still have laundry to fold and dishes to wash, but I'm done beating myself up for not always having the cleanest house. I've decided it's okay for the dishes to wait for another hour, or maybe two, I've got memories to make, a legacy to leave.

grandma with CK on her first birthday.


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2 Responses to “A legacy worth leaving”

  1. That's a good point, that the best thing we can leave our families is the peace that comes with knowing we are saved! Thank you for sharing. Love for your family,
    Kevi

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