“And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.”
2 Peter 1:15
When my grandparents passed away, so did most of the stories of their lives and my heritage. While I still had the imprinted memories of the times we did have and the faith they so powerfully gave witness to as I and my siblings were growing up, I am missing some very important pieces of their lives that played important roles in shaping who I am today.
When Peter saId what he did about making every effort to see that the things that had to do with life and eternal life would always be remembered, I suspect he had in mind more than just telling stories around a campfire. That’s why he wrote a letter—a written record was one way he could help them remember. What effort are you making to make sure the lessons and stories God has written on the pages of your life are being passed on to another generation? They are priceless stories that will help the generations after you remember and understand how your story is impacting the story God is writing on the pages of their lives. They are stories that must be told and remembered.
My good friend, Lana Rockwell, has written a valuable book, Passing On A Written Legacy, with simple, practical helps for creating your own written record to pass on to your family. Don’t underestimate the value of leaving a written record. My sadness at having lost so much of the story of my family history is repeated over and over by many others who feel so much of their own history has been lost because no one took the time to write it down. I feel so strongly about it I have alos put together a tool for helping you write your legacy. The Legacy Journal can help you organize information about your personal and family history in the first section, and in the next section record your thoughts and lessons learned about life that you want another generation to know as they journey through life. I encourage you to consider using both tools to tell your story.
Whatever tool you use, we will bless the next generations if, like Peter, we make every effort to see that these things God has done throughout our lifetime are remembered for the blessing and encouragement of another generation. It really is more than our story–it is HIS story written on the pages of our lives as a testimony to His greatness and grace. Write it down, record it on video, or do both. Make the effort for the sake of your children and grandchildren. If you do, they will call you blessed.
GRANDPAUSE: How will our children and grandchildren understand our current values without knowing about the life we have lived? – Lana Rockwell
Click below for information about:
PASSING ON A WRITTEN LEGACY by Lana Rockwell
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