A Great Legacy

At the Ladies’ Christmas Tea this year, the message had been about how Mary was ‘highly favored’ and the events leading up to Jesus birth. Sometimes when I listen to messages, my brain is getting a totally different lesson from God. I was listening to what the speaker had to say, but God was taking me somewhere different. He was showing me how Mary had not only been obedient in birthing Jesus and all the stigma she was taking on by being pregnant and now married, she also had been obedient in raising him. Being there through life for him as he grew up. Would Jesus have accomplished his goal if he had been born to a mother who wasn’t sold out for God? Would God have given Jesus to a mother who didn’t accept that responsibility? How much impact did Mary have on Jesus and who he was, how he interacted with other people, his obedience?

I’m not sure if there are answers to my questions in this life, but I do think God knows the impact a mother can and should have on her children. For good or for bad. I think Mary was chosen not just because she was willing, but because she had the skills necessary to raise the son of God to be obedient and faithful. Because she had a legacy. Someone (her parents) taught her those skills and trained her in obedience so that she could pass them on.

Toward the end of the morning, the organizer had us hold out our hands to receive an early present from God. She mentioned a couple of things that she thought God was telling specific people and a couple of generic things that she thought might apply to others in the room, but reminded us all to listen to what God had to say to each of us individually . . . that he did have something for everyone.

My gift was a reminder of the legacy I have. A great legacy. It’s interesting the things I do and the way I do them and how often if I take a minute to think about it, I do it exactly the same way my mom does. And how much of that behavior is the same as my grandmother? And how far back can it go? God blesses for a thousand generations! If there is something that I think I want to do different than my parents did, I have to make a very serious conscious effort to change my behavior. I’m proud of my legacy because there isn’t a lot that I need to break off or change. I don’t have to deal with disagreements between mine and Nate’s baseline (because he has a great legacy too). My legacy is already headed in the right direction, I get the privilege of building on a solid foundation instead of having to start from scratch.

I pray that I can pass on this great legacy to the children who pass through my home, so they can have a solid foundation for their lives. What a blessing is has been for me. Thanks Mom! And thanks Grandma (we miss you)!