Leave a Legacy

So the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. (Psalm 78:6-7 New Living Translation ).

When my grandmother passed away, some of the family wanted things to remember her by. My cousin was given her wedding ring, my aunt, her button collection. Others claimed dishes, furniture, knickknacks, and the list goes on. I only wanted one thing. I asked for her Bible. To me, that represented everything she would want me to remember. 

I have perused through that Bible, remembering how it lay, fully open on her lap as she napped in her rocker after reading her daily verses. I am now keenly drawn to the passages that are marked. I can thumb through her Bible and get a sneak peek of the things that were important to her by the words she boldly underlined. I read the importance of repentance, water baptism in Jesus Name (Acts 4:12), and the infilling of the Holy Ghost by the evidence of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:38-39), because those scriptures are carefully underlined and easy to spot. I’ve been able to easily locate the prayerful scriptures in Psalms that were her heart throb: 

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust (Psalm 91:1-2). 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).

What a joy it has been to be able to tap into the same spirit that captured my Grandma’s heart by reading her Bible. Her legacy lives on in my life. She taught me through her action, and more importantly through her devotion to God’s Word.

The Word claims boldly to be alive, and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12 - which is also underlined in Grandma’s bible, of course). This scripture tells us that God’s Word is able to cut away sinful things from the very depths of our lives, even down to bare bones where thoughts and intents of our hearts linger. 

This Word is that is alive, and powerful truly is His words to us. It is more powerful than our own words. When we speak His words, things happen. People are changed. When we pray His words, the demons tremble. The New King James translation of the Bible say it like this: “For the Word of God is living and powerful…” His Word is beating and breathing just as if He were standing beside us, breathing life into our dead hearts. 

My grandmother taught me many things. However, the most important words she left behind were not her own. She left another One’s words…God’s Word! His Word speaks into my life daily.

If we are looking for ways to de-clutter our lives and give our children and grandchildren something to remember us by at the same time, why not pull out those old Bibles we no longer use?  The ones that we have marked up with important notes and precious underlined scriptures. Why not share them with our children and grandchildren now? This is a legacy we can pass down in the present, while we have time to see the results of our eternal legacy.

Take a moment and read Deuteronomy 6:4-9 in the New Living Translation.

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

I feel monumentally blessed to have the privilege of a godly grandmother. Her legacy lives on in my life. I am  determined to pass the beautiful heritage my grandmother left me.  I don’t want to be the one to break the link! I will passionately pass this precious truth on to my children. I will do my best to influence my grandchildren and great grandchildren to love God and put Him first in their lives. 

It is my greatest desire to leave a lasting legacy to the generations that follow. I will pass down the most valued treasure of truth down to my children.

I want to make sure they know that the preparations for eternity are much more important than the preparations for a career or monetary gain and propriety.

I want to leave them The Word of God. A legacy that will prepare them for eternity.

Gayla Baughman

January 22, 2024