The Legacy I Want to Leave

June 24, 2024

What an incredible 2024 Father’s Day! Patty and I became grandparents of Rowen Grace Alderfer on June 16, 2024. While being there when it happened was wonderful, the actual full fact that she is here is just starting to hit me. This is an incredibly joyful experience, yet there is a weightiness to it as well. My lineage is being extended and continued. No doubt if God wills, Rowen will have children whom I will probably never see here. I am not sure how long I will personally be here with her, but this I know for certain – I will have an influence and an impact on her life and future in a way so powerful it is difficult to imagine.

How I choose to live my life and how I choose to exercise my faith and trust God will have an enormous impact on her and on the most important people in her life. It will impact the stories she will hear about me, and will then impact how she chooses to respond. When you are not present, other people represent and translate you to others.

I can think of a few gracious things that might be said:

  • Your grandpa really loved golf and he was really good
  • Your grandpa was one of the funniest people I ever met
  • Your grandpa was a strong, good leader
  • Your grandpa was a hard worker

All of those are good and it would be great if they could be said about me. But they will not encourage and motivate Rowen to do the most important thing ever – have and develop a flourishing relationship with the most important person, Jesus.

The thing that will grab her heart and stir her spirit is to hear about how her grandpa trusted God for great things, how he sacrificed and gave himself to the purposes of the Kingdom of God. She needs to be able to hear that the things that matter most to God are the things that mattered to Grandpa. She needs to know that the goal of my life was to love like Jesus and prove it by my obedient service.

I can’t have remarkable stories unless I develop a great faith and follow it up with great obedience and sacrifice. I don’t want to give Rowen a picture of a small, aloof, indifferent God who is not personally powerful and present.

I know this for sure – for good or for bad, she will not escape my influence. Andy Stanley has famously said, “The greatest contribution you make to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” I not only 100% believe that – I pray for it. I pray that my children and grandchildren, until Jesus comes back, will follow Him with their whole hearts and do great exploits for God that make mine pale in comparison. But that will likely only happen if I live nobly, purely, and intentionally now.

Our first granddaughter has reminded me of how important it is to keep my relationship with Jesus vibrant and healthy, believing Him for impossible things. I want to be able to tell her about the great works of God in my personal life, our family life, His church, and His world where I was a participant and impact-maker.

Our God is the God of many generations. Scripture makes that clear. It’s even found in one of the names He uses for Himself:

Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Exodus 3:6 NIV

God loves the generations and prefers to work within that framework.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of your awesome acts, and I will declare your greatness. They shall utter the memory of your great goodness, and shall sing of your righteousness. Psalm 145:3-7 NKJV

This passage mandates generational interaction. The generation that is leaving must pour into the generation that is coming up. Likewise, the rising generation is to follow the example of the older generation. This is God’s strategy and pattern until the end of time as we know it. It is a perfect design – for the good of all people and for His glory.

Psalm 145 is packed with vivid verbs calling us to action as we interact with the generations He so loves. “… commend … declare … meditate … speak … declare … pour forth … sing aloud.”

In completeness and in detail, we are to proclaim His great works. Verse five calls us to spend time alone thinking about the gloriousness of His majesty and reflecting on His works. This is the way to live and share and leave a positive legacy that enriches our lives while we live it.

Grandpas and grandmas, I am gratefully proud to join your ranks. Let’s be a GREAT generation and intentionally leave a legacy of greatness to our children and grandchildren.