Legacy

 The words of 1 Peter pulsed through my head,

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1: 3-9 NIV

As usual, I’ve been thinking about my grandparents and my Mom a lot this month. The old familiar ache gnawing at the edges of my consciousness and weighing down my soul. No longer as crushing as it once was, but unshakeable even after so many years. This year I’ve been thinking a lot about their legacy.

I went and looked up the word legacy. The roots of the word are in Latin and it means something delegated. Other definitions for legacy, and its synonyms “heritage” and “inheritance”, are something precious and especially valued that has been preserved and handed down by a predecessor or previous generation. I thought about that as the words of 1 Peter seeped through my mind, mingling with the memories of my Mom and grandparents. Peter is reminding the scattered and battered Christians that are on the run and grieving many losses and trials, that God has protected an inheritance for them. A legacy, a heritage. God has protected an inheritance for them that can’t be touched and won’t spoil. He has promised to shield them as they trust in Him in the midst of all their suffering. He promises that, as they hang on, their faith will be tested and refined and will shine all the brighter in the end if they persevere. He reminds them that though they haven’t seen Jesus with their eyes they still love him and believe in Him and as a result are filled with unbelievable joy because they are already receiving what they hope for which is the salvation of their souls.

As I’ve thought about this, I realized something. I realized that hope in this promise of God, and their unseen love for and faith in Jesus, is what gave my Mom and my grandparents resilience. It was the imperishable hope that Jesus’ death and resurrection gave them that helped them through so many things in their lives and helped them to encourage others in similar circumstances.

It also dawned on me that this is my heritage and legacy from them. It’s been delegated to me by their example and Christ’s example. This month I remember and miss them. Not without hope, but with aching certainty and the reminder that I’ve been delegated a responsibility. A responsibility to remember that I’ve been given a living hope that can’t perish, spoil or fade. And the joy of sharing that hope and certainty with others. Sharing the gift of an untouchable inheritance and rescue for their souls with the hurt and dying people around me.

So, just as 1 Thessalonians reminds me, I don’t need to grieve as though I have no hope. In fact, my hope is alive and kicking, because Jesus rose from the dead and guarantees that this life is not all there is to be had. I’d say that legacy is worth rejoicing over and thanking my Mom and grandparents for sharing with me so I can share it with others.