Legacy and Heritage

Legacy and Heritage are two big words.  We often think of them with large
personalities in mind, those who impacted generations.  I think of them with small, humble people in
mind.

My Aunt Atsie Mae Hales passed away last Monday, October 10^th
at the age of 91.  She was the last one
of her generation, and her passing was a big event in my family.  A generation now was gone, and the next
person we bury will be closer to all of us.

Atsie Mae lived a life full of service and dedication,
almost to a fault.  She would drive you
crazy constantly cleaning up, cooking, and looking around for something to
do.  Even in the nursing home as she
suffered from Alzheimer’s, she would wander down the hallways into people’s
room to help make the bed and assist residents as they ate.  She had a true servant’s heart, and as a
minister I was proud of the work she filled her life up with.  She left an impact.

We can all make such a big deal about motivation, and this
was constantly a topic concerning my Aunt.
She had been kicked out of the Church of God because someone thought
they saw her wearing pants in the field picking cotton, and there’s no doubt
that experience motivated her throughout her life.  Did she work so hard out of faith, or out of
fear?  Was there a guilt that overshadowed
her good works?  Does it really
matter?  Interestingly enough, people who
aren’t doing anything positive with their lives will often make the biggest
deal about the motivation of those who are doing positive with theirs.  Motivation aside, my Aunt Atsie Mae made an
impact.

Which brings me back to Legacy and Heritage; do we give
these concepts enough weight in our daily lives?  These concepts require us to respect them,
and to understand that the decisions I make in my personal life will either
bring honor to those who have come before me, or sadly bring shame as
well.  I have an obligation to generations
that have come before me to measure up to their sacrifice and faith, and also I
have an obligation to teach and pass on our legacy and heritage to the
generations that come after.

Exodus 12:17, 26-27 reads “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of
Egypt.  Celebrate this day as a lasting
ordinance for the generations to come… and when your children ask you, ‘What
does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice
to the Lord, who passed over the housed of the Israelites in Egypt and spared
our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.”
It’s amazing how this ceremony has been used by Jews for thousands of
years to help establish an identity, one that has lasted without a country or
central governing body for centuries.
I’m motivated by my heritage; I want to add to it in a
positive way.  I understand clearly that
my actions are directly connected to those of my parents and grandparents, and
even more importantly are directly connected to my children and
grandchildren.  I honor or dishonor in
both directions!  This is a pretty
incredible thought, yet it’s the reality we all live under.
Life doesn’t revolve around me; I am merely a link in a
chain.  I’m grateful for those who came
before me, and I’m fearfully hopeful for those who come after!  Praise God for the strength through faith
that He gives us for this wonderful journey of Heritage and Legacy!