To Leave a Legacy

"I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you." Jesus

Sometimes it's encouraging to think of the legacy I will leave behind. The times I look back and feel good about the positive contributions I've made in this life. It can also be discouraging to think of my legacy. The times I look back and see the many times when I fell short and did not live as the best version of myself.

This morning, I read the line above about Jesus talking as he was washing the feet of his disciples. When he took these moments to serve the men that were following him. I love this line, "I have set an example." This is what we are to do with our lives. We are to serve. We are to set an example.

I often consider the days I've been given and the legacy of those days. I've been given far more days than many. So many have had their days cut short. And here I am with so many behind me. In my reminiscent wanderings, I often find myself returning to a line from Benedictine Monk, David Steindl-Rast. "The only appropriate response is gratefulness."

A practice I've come to appreciate is self-care and self-counsel. Caring for ourselves as we care for others. I've been in the role of teaching, coaching, and counseling for years. I have found that I am quick to remind others that we are all works in progress. Each new day and each new moment is a new opportunity to learn and to begin again. It is good to remind ourselves of this and care for ourselves in the same way.

We need compassion and encouragement. We need a model, an example, and a next step. As I think back over these days, years, and decades given to me, the only appropriate response truly is gratefulness. And grateful people are happy people. They are hopeful people. They are encouraging, compassionate people. Loving and caring for others as they love and care for themselves.

What is my legacy? That is unknowable and uncontrollable. And I am at peace with that. Because I know and control my response to this moment. So many have served as an example to me. That is their legacy. And my response is gratefulness. My response is to care for myself so I can care for others. So I can serve as an example to others.

We cannot know how many days we will be given, but we can choose to be good stewards of those days. And with each new day, each new gift of life, we can participate, appreciate, and celebrate the opportunities to respond. We have been given examples of how to live and grow a legacy. Today is a great day to grow and leave our own.