Thursday, July 27, 2017

This Is Your Opportunity to Create a Legacy

Sometimes I can't believe the family I have. I can't say that when I was growing up we were a close knit family as is portrayed on screen. We were close because we had no choice. No one was going anywhere and if we did it was done as a unit. As we got older, and life intervened we all went our separate ways. And these days, though I love getting together with my siblings we just don't have a close family dynamic. There are some elephants in the room whenever we're together and we just can't seem to get past them. We keep feeding the elephant when it should be kicked out; elephants don't belong with humans or in rooms.

This is a legacy.

With my husband, I have been able to create a family that makes me genuinely happy. We hang out with each other and we talk, really talk with each other. If there's no one else around I'm quite content to hang out with these people and in my wildest dreams, I never thought this was possible. As the wedding approaches, we find ourselves randomly practicing dance moves for the big day. We find ourselves vetoing another's silliness all in good fun or having our typical family banter via group chat.

My husband has always been more focused on us doing things as a family. That's the phrase he uses, "we're going to do this as a family." I wasn't always keen on this idea, but I went along and now today we just automatically do things as a family, if we can.

This too is a legacy.

He was intentional about creating good experiences, but so was I in a different way. I was big on Family Devotions, Sunday Dinners, Christmas and over time Thanksgiving and any other family holidays. Through a best friend, we started having birthday get togethers where we had a cake and sang Happy Birthday. It might have been just us or it might have included anyone who was over at the time. When we had children, I thought about what would my children think about their family. As much I could control it, I did my part in creating favorable memories. We still talk about the time I burnt my son's birthday cake, or the time my husband took a daughter on a shopping spree for her birthday, or the time another daughter thought she outsmarted me by buying a pair of sneakers.

This is a legacy.

Legacy happens whether you're intentional or not. You and your spouse are leaving an imprint on the next generation. As much as it depends on you, be willing to work with each other, compromise, talk and share to create beautiful moments for the next generation. Part of my legacy is knowing that we were so grounded in God's Word we lived it out and passed it on to our children while going after life with gusto. Whatever your legacy is, I hope it is grounded in love: love of God and love of family.

In Caesarea, there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. Acts 10:1,2

What's your legacy?



--Nylse

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6 comments:

  1. I absolutely love this! Growing up, it was just us (my mom, dad and three sisters). There were no grandparents, cousins, etc as they are/were in Ghana. So we really had no one else. My mom made it a big deal for us to be close, etc. You have no idea how grateful I am that she made it such a big deal because the relationships I have with my sisters I treasure more than anything. I hope she is proud of the legacy she left behind. I don't know the type of legacy I'll leave behind (on the having children part which leaves me often feeling sad) but I hope that whatever it is, it's a great one!

    I love, love this post :)

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  2. Great thoughts, Nylse. I love that you are creating a healthy family unit. Your husband is a good man. It's not every day we see men who are supportive of and interacting with their families.

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  3. Sweet post, Nylse. Love this insight, "Legacy happens whether you're intentional or not." Great point. Thanks for sharing. :)

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  4. Great thoughts Nylse. I hope to leave a legacy of serving my Savior. The words that I write are for His glory and hopefully they will be around for years after I'm gone. I could not have done it without the support of my family. Looks like you have a great one too. Thanks for stopping by earlier. Have a fantastic weekend and may God continue to bless you and your family.

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  5. A lovely sweet post Nylse ! I enjoyed reading about you and your family. Thank you for sharing. Great stories, are great food for thought, the way I see it..

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  6. Nylse,

    Your words remind me of something I was talking about with a friend recently. We have both lost grandmothers who were so very dear to us, missing them and hurting because we loved them so much. Of course it has so much to do with who they were in our lives, but we were also aware that all the other family members were feeling the same way... because of the legacy they left. I want a legacy much like hers, one of love and family and faith...one of self-less service and intentional living.
    Great post and thanks for sharing with us at the #GraceMoments Link Up!

    Blessings,
    Dawn

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