Legacy

You ever think about what your kids think about you? Like really think about you? Maybe it's hard for ya - cuz they are 3 and 4 years old and they pretty much think you are the absolute bomb (even right after timeout is over).

But before you know it - in what will seem like a blink of an eye - they will be 23 and 24. And possibly find themselves reflecting back on their life and looking at US as parents and dissecting how we impacted who they have become.


Man - I think about this kind of stuff. And lately we've had some junk stirred up that has really brought it to my attention and made me a little introspective about it all. Specifically - what kind of LEGACY am I going to leave behind for my children? Will they look upon their childhood and youth with fondness and smile? Or will they package it up in a compartment somewhere hoping never to have to unpack it?

By definition legacy is "something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past" - but I firmly believe we can start right now, right here in the present to lay the foundation for a legacy that can keep on giving long after we are gone.

I know what I want my girls to remember when they think of me later in life. First and foremost I want them to say "My daddy loved Jesus." I want them to say they had fun with me. I want them to say they were loved - that they knew love from their mommy and me. When they really sit and think about it - perhaps in a community group or bible study - I want them to say that their parents turned them toward God with every move they made.

And ultimately - I want them to be proud of us. As much as I see my girls literally glow right now when I tell them how proud I am of them - deep down inside - don't we want the same thing from them? Truthfully - I think they WANT to be proud of us.


A year ago, on a mission trip in Rwanda, I sat with a team member at lunch one day and she shared a little about her family and specifically her father. I sat in awe listening to her describe this man and the impact he had on her life. I remember it to this day - you could just see how much she loved him and how proud she was of who her father is. And you could see his abundantly positive influence on her life in the type of person she is.

It had a deep impact on me - hasn't left me to this day.

And it has stirred in me a passion to be the best father, the best reflection of Jesus - the best ME that I can be for my girls.


Girls... I am gonna screw up time and time and time again. But know this: I love you. And I think about this kind of stuff. And I am trying my best to be intentional about how I interact with you, how I raise you, and most importantly how often and how accurately I point you back towards God in the way I live and in the things I do and say. And I promise you that I will keep on trying until I am not here to try anymore.

Daddy loves ya girls...