Legacy

Have you ever thought about the moments that meant the most to you about your dad and the times that you spent together? I recently found great value in my life as a parent as I thought about some of the moments that stood out in my memory about dad. I thought about the times I spent fishing and hunting with my father. I couldn’t help but smile thinking about those fond moments that took me back to a small deer blind in the middle of nowhere and those late afternoons fishing along the banks of a small pond. I remember the countless practices that he attended or coached in my fleeting moments of greatness in Jr. High and High School sports. I’ll never forget that look on his face after throwing the baseball over his head into the next county while trying to play catch in the front lawn. Working side by side on those hot Texas summer days mowing lawns or raking leaves. That all mattered to me.

This caused me to pause and consider the ramifications of these memories on me as a father. The recollection of those moments made me ask myself what my daughter would remember about our times together. Would she always remember a dad that had another meeting to go to or another late night at the office? Would she remember a dad that worked hard to provide material things that would soon be forgotten or simply break and find themselves in the bottom of a toy box? What would be the defining element of the transition in another generation? Will she want to marry a man that treats her like her daddy treats her momma? Will she desire to pray with her children?

The day will come when I as a parent will hand off a baton and pass on a legacy. What will that look like? What will my children give to their children? It sunk in when I realized that you can't give away something that you have never received. Lord help me to use the moments that You have given me with my children to further their legacy. Father, help me to see opportunity when opportunity presents itself.