Legacy that Lives

When I die, I want to leave a legacy that lives.

I've been thinking a lot about my Nana lately. If you've been reading the Daily Fast Fuel for very long, you may recall that she died over two years ago. My sister and fellow DFF writer, Sara Rust, have both reminisced about her here in these pages. But tonight, I have to share with you that she has been teaching me some special things lately.

My Nana left me a legacy of love so strong that I still feel it today. Often. And when I say that I still feel it, I don't mean that I remember that she loved me. It is more than that.

I experience her love. 

You know that overwhelming feeling you get when someone does something really selfless for you? The kind of action that evokes this feeling of safety, security, and which leaves you not just thinking, but feeling you are loved beyond expression?

My Nana still makes me feel that way, even though she has been gone from this earth for over two years.

I am determined to leave such a legacy for my own loved ones. What a powerful thing! To live in such a way that you continue making people feel loved long after you are gone...

I find it fascinating that we so often judge people's ability to influence and impact the world around them based off of their education, their professional credentials, and in this social media world, their followers.

But, by contrast, my Nana had none of those things. She never got beyond a High School Degree. She married young, and had a family early. The only profession she knew from that point on was how she provided for her husband, her two boys, and ultimately their two families...not to mention legions of friends she made along life's way. My Nana never met a stranger and she was a fiercely loyal friend. That said, her world was fairly small and simple.

What my Nana did was love all of us so well, that we feel her still today. We experience  her heart, often.

There is another I know of that left that kind of legacy. He left a love so strong that people didn't just remember it. They experienced it, and Truth be known, generation upon generation continue to experience His love. What a powerful legacy!

There is not a doubt in my mind where my Nana learned to do what she did. Nor is there a doubt in my mind where I need to go to learn to do the same.

Why don't you join me? Let us build legacies worthy of the hearts of those who will come after us.

Amen.

Katie Pickard is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.