Writing Letters to Leave a Legacy

There are many ways to leave a legacy and many types of legacies to leave.

Ultimately I’m concerned with one that brings glory to Christ, seeing myself and others built up in the knowledge and love of him as he spreads his fame through the earth.

After all, what will remain when the refiner’s fire is done with us?

With the possibility of death I’ve been given the opportunity to think about this from a very intentional perspective. As I reflect, I realize that a lot of my “legacy” (‘Christ working in me’ may be better short hand for the time being) will be in things not easily pointed to. I’ve had the blessing of being involved in people’s lives through discipling younger believers along with less intentional one-on-one friendships that have revolved around a mututal bond in Christ as brothers and sisters. My legacy will also be made in my family. My hope is that my wife is closer to Christ and will continue to grow closer to Christ because I’ve been her husband (though I know I’ve failed in this regard along the way; thankfully God keeps teaching me and growing me). My legacy will “live on” in my children, whether I get to be their father for the next 20+ years or not. (The oldest is currently three and a half and the youngest is 7 months.)

One of the more intentional ways I’ve wanted to leave a legacy for my boys is to write them each a letter that they can read from my hands when they’re older. Here’s the copy and pasted Facebook post I wrote a couple weeks ago as I began the emotional process:

“Would you pray for me as I begin to write letters to my boys to read and have when they’re older?

“It’s an emotional process but in the last hour as I’ve started it’s been very helpful for me as well.

“I’m writing to them to both share my desires for them but also give them a picture of myself that only I can paint. When my dad died a lot of knowledge and life stories left with him. If I pass I want them to have some of that written down. So, I’m sort of writing a mini-autobiography in the process.”

Would you pray for me on this as well?

And consider for yourself the story God has given you and the legacy you are creating even now. Will Christ be made much of through your friendships, family, and even strangers you come across?