Saturdays are laundry days in the Hoeksema household, and out of my usual five loads, at least two and a half include the dogs’ blankets. There are beds and blankets in my office, pads and blankets in their kennels, blankets on the sofa, blankets all over the family room floor and more. So many blankets, so little space!
After returning each fresh blanket to its designated spot, I spent a little time in my office. Both dogs generally follow me wherever I land in the house, with Maisy burrowing under whatever blanket happens to be in that room.
On Saturday I spent a few minutes at my desk, and the girls found their spots in their beds. Maisy, of course, immediately burrowed under her blanket.
As I left my office, she followed me, trailing the blanket behind her like a Supergirl cape. (Does Supergirl even wear a cape?”)
As usual, the blanket fell off at a random spot in the house, always dependent on how “attached” she was to it.
Even now as I sit at my desk writing this post, I glanced behind me to the bed where she had been completely ensconced under her blanket, only to see the blanket and dog have both disappeared. I’m quite certain I’ll find the blanket about 3 or 4 rooms away…
Back to laundry day. After Maisy left, I said to her, “Maisy, I can tell you live in this house because of what you leave behind you.”
Let me dispel any notion you have that I spend deliberate, thoughtful, intentional moments digging deep for my blog topics.
THIS is the more likely scenario for landing on my weekly ideas:
As soon as I made my comment to Maisy, I thought to myself, “Hey, what about all of us? What do we leave behind in our lives.”
This is often how God gives me my weekly ideas. I love it much more than sitting at my desk for hours hoping that I could come up with something.
So, let’s get down to the heart of this.
Regardless of whether it’s after our passing or simply after spending some time with friends or family, what impression do we leave behind?
Was our interaction encouraging? Uplifting? Confrontational? Entertaining? Did they feel heard? Did we demonstrate kindness and compassion? Or did we only talk about our day, our troubles, our opinions?
It’s a question I must ask myself as well.
This text from 2 Corinthians 2:14–15 gives us some insight into how we should leave those interactions with our loved ones:
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…
Man, don’t you want to be a sweet aroma? I have always loved that visual and hope to keep it front and center going forward.
Now, what about what we leave behind long-term? What about our legacy? What do we want people to remember about us once we’re gone? What will they remember about me? Will it simply be that I loved my Boston/Frenchies?
Or will they remember how grateful I was to God and how he walked with me through every season of my life? Will they know the Gospel message because they either heard it from me or saw me live it out?
Those questions hit a little too close for comfort. But they are equally, and perhaps even more critically, important to ask ourselves.
When this life is over, what impact will we have made on those around us?
And I’m not talking about monumental, headline-grabbing accomplishments, although God is big enough to use us in those ways. But he’s also very much the God of the ordinary, simple life.
How has your life impacted your children and the generations to follow? What about that meal you brought to an elderly neighbor who was home-bound? Or the kind notes you wrote to those who were grieving, or who had blessed you in some way?
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that God has created good works for us to walk in, and I want to be paying attention to what he’s prepared.
In the parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, one servant is most faithful to his master and brings him a good return on the investment. The master praises his servant by saying,
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
That’s what I want to hear when my life is over, not because of any “great” feats I’ve accomplished. But because it means I’ve been faithful to follow God’s leading and invest in his people by being the hands and feet of Jesus in this hurting world.
The totality of those seemingly insignificant acts can result in a legacy that honors God, and impacts others for his Kingdom long after we’re gone.
What will you and I leave in our wake?
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work
and the love that you have shown for his name
in serving the saints, as you still do.
Hebrews 6:10
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