Lent Day 7: Snail Trails and Fairy Dust

We all leave something in our wake.

What do you think you are leaving in your wake as of today?

What do you want it to be?

I chose fairy dust, because I value story, imagination and creativity. When fairy dust is left behind it is used to create something magical.  I chose the silver snail trail, because it reminds me that the yucky things in life can be seen as sparkly and beautiful, the whole beauty from ashes thing. I chose a bomb, as a reminder to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Our actions to do happen in a vacuum. I chose Anne Frank because her diary, her journals, her written words share her story, the good, the bad and the ugly. Anne’s father published her writings after her death but her words live on as a reminder to be a voice for the voiceless.

What would you choose to describe the kind of legacy you want to leave? (paint a picture with your words)

I did not start journaling my conversations with Jesus until 2007.  I have a cabinet full of notebooks.  They are different shapes and sizes. They are messy, tear and coffee stained, and colorful.  They are full of misspelled words and run on sentences, Bible verses, poetry, angry monologues, joyful moments, disappointments, questions, answers, pictures, praise, confession, adoration, gratitude and prayer requests. Page after page I can go back and remember exactly where God and I were wrestling, dancing, dreaming, or just being.  They are my memorial stones and they are the intentional beauty marks I plan to leave behind for my children one day. They are not beautiful because of me. They are beautiful because they are full of God moments, definitely not all “good” moments.  If my house were to burn, my people and those journals would be my grabs.

We hear the word legacy all the time and I think it is fair to say that most want to be remembered fondly. Some want to be remembered as risk takers and world changers. Others want to be remembered for their fame, fortune, intelligence, beauty, talent or originality. None of those are bad in and of themselves; they are, however, temporal, not eternal.

If we take more risks than Elon Musk and start more humanitarian efforts than Oprah Winfrey,

“without Love we are nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.” 1 Cor. 13 MSG

If we top Donald Trump on the cover of every magazine, give Bill Gates a run for his money, put Einstein to shame with our brains, make Cindy Crawford look like the average joe, sing circles around Adele, and one up Steve Jobs with our new inventions

“…but we don’t love, we’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” 1 Cor. 13 MSG

I am not saying that those people do not have love.  I don’t know any of them personally. What I am saying, is that without Love, Who is a person named Jesus, nothing we do or say will leave an eternal beauty mark.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love Never Dies!

(1 Cor. 13 MSG)

When I started this blog I was simply being obedient to the Lord telling me to “take the journey before the people.” ( see more at Why I Blog)  I forged ahead with the “what” and I have watched as God unpacks the “why.”

What’s LOVE got to do with it?

EVERYTHING!

Along with my journals, I realize now that these posts are also part of the legacy I am leaving for my children, not just “the people”.  I don’t think they read much of what I write right now, but I bet they will one day. In light of that, I get to make a conscious decision to share all the things I want them to know about me, my walk with Christ and what I valued most and why. I pray my teenage babies will one day want to read my heart, that they will sift out the gold, learn from my mistakes, celebrate the victories and most importantly fall head over heels in love with the Jesus who was, is and will always be their mama’s best friend.

How cool would it be to have generations from now a family lineage that got a glimpse of their great great great grandma’s life in her own words saved forever on the world-wide web, or until Jesus comes back.  I pray I always choose my words wisely and let Jesus take the wheel when deciding what to write.

What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

Take sometime this Lenten season to specifically define what you want it to be

and answer this question:

What is your first next step in making THOSE kind of beauty marks in your wake?