“A legacy is the intangible things we leave behind. . . . Legacy is the essence of a person — their hopes, their dreams, their passions. It’s the part of their personality, their character, that you want to emulate. The people who have the greatest influence on our lives create a backdrop against which we judge ourselves.”- Mark Batterson
“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received . . . but only what you have given.”- St. Francis of Assisi
In Chapter 19 (“Lineage and Legacy”) of A Trip around the Sun, Mark Batterson notes that, as we age, the center of cognitive gravity shifts from the imaginative right brain to the logical left brain. Most significantly, this tendency presents a grave spiritual danger. Because, at some point, many people stop living out of imagination and start living out of memory. Living by logic, not faith.
Above all, Pastor Batterson asserts, life serves as a dress rehearsal for the grand adventure that awaits us in heaven. Hence, Mark reasons, why not get a jump start on it now? When President Franklin Roosevelt died, this piece of poetry comforted his wife, First Lady Eleanor:
“They are not dead who live in lives they lead behind; / In those whom they have blessed they live again.”
In conclusion, Mark talks about his most prized possession. It’s a 1934 Thompson Chain-Reference Bible that belonged to his maternal grandfather. The pages, Mark notes, are literally taped together. Thus, the old adage holds true. If someone’s Bible is falling apart, most likely their life isn’t.
Eugene Peterson talked about a long obedience in the right direction. So, Mark encourages, it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you keep:
- kneeling.
- your eyes fixed on Christ.
- on keeping on.
Finally, Mark adds:
“Each of us is a one-of-a-kind original. But I know this for sure: I wouldn’t be who I am without . . . my cloud of witnesses”
Today’s question: What intangible things mark your legacy? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “No higher commendation”