I once heard someone say that we wouldn’t worry so much about what people think of us if we realized how little they actually think about us.
So, why do we do the things we do?
I was recently challenged to think of legacy in a couple of ways. The first was this question: “Who will be at your funeral and will not be looking at their watch?” Now, that’s a visual! To ask it a different way – “Whose life are you really impacting?”
A man died who was reported to have amassed a small fortune over the course of his life. People around town began to speculate on the value of his estate. One person finally worked up the courage to ask, “So how much did he leave?”
A thoughtful sage answered, “All of it.”
The value of our legacy is not measured in the size of our estate or even to whom we bequeath it; it is measured by our impact on other lives.
The second way I was challenged to think of legacy was to compose my tombstone tweet. That’s a Twitter reference, in case you’re wondering what the heck a little bird has to do with a tombstone. The idea is to describe what I want other people to say about me when I’m gone AND only use 140 characters (including spaces and punctuation).
After pondering my life’s mission and storylines, I came up with this: “He helped me envision what Jesus could be in me and then he championed my vision.”
It’s not my desire or calling to tell people what they should be or do. It is my desire to awaken a vision in each person of what life could be like if they allowed Jesus to fully live through them—in their unique and God-given personality, passion, and giftedness—and then champion that vision.
I dream of communities filled with people who are experiencing the full realization that their lives matter to God and living out their uniquely designed calling on an amazing life’s journey. I imagine people passing on that legacy to each subsequent generation. I imagine people who will never think about me or know my name being impacted by choices I am making today.
What about you? What’s your tombstone tweet? What will you leave behind that can’t be lost, corrupted, stolen, or destroyed?
Jesus said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)
I have 59 characters left before I use up my 140 character limit. I’m considering that representative of the indeterminate amount of time I have left to make my calling a reality. At 55, I’ve almost certainly lived more years than I have remaining.
What are you doing with the time you have left?
