My Grandmother Saved My Behind Again...

 

My grandmother moved in with Jesus over 5 years ago. When I was a little girl, she used to sneak me out of the house if I’d gotten in trouble.  We used to go get a McDonald’s Happy Meal and eat it at the Harding Memorial.  I still remember rolling down the hill in a huge cardboard dryer box (which I did hear that all of that is officially illegal now.)  No matter how old I was her excuse for any deviant behavior I had was, “She’s only such and such years old.”  Yea I don’t think that excuse still works. 

 I inherited a lot of her kitchen extras.  You know what I mean, those random cooking tools that one rarely buys but somehow they end up in the drawer.  My family and I are in the midst of several transitions and a lot of my things are still packed in boxes.  I only unpacked the bare minimum when we moved a few months ago.  I have no idea where my crock pot is.  I think it’s in a box somewhere between my china and one of the computer desks which could be on top of or around the piano.  As I was considering how to solve my need of a crock pot, I found my grandmother’s old one; which still works perfectly and has been a big help.  I couldn’t help but have a moment of tears when I found it.  I miss her every day, and here she was again bailing me out of trouble.

Many people have a misguided notion that their life or the signature of their lives will only last for the amount of time they’re on the earth.  That’s just not true.  My grandmother’s crock pot bailed me out.  A life impacts well beyond what they did on the earth. 

I’m working on my 20^th book.  The rough draft will be done either this week or next week.  It’s all about the legacy of two characters.  So I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy these past few months.  Dan and I were joking around yesterday about what we’d want in our obituary.  I don’t want my obituary to be all about the books I wrote or my accomplishments, but I want it to say, “Anna was a super fab woman of God who loved her family and impacted many for the Kingdom of God.”  I want my legacy to go beyond my years on the earth too. 

Psalm 127:3-5 (MSG)

Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.

It’s been spring break at my house this week.  It’s been easy to get on my girls for bickering and arguing.  It can be easy to yell at them.  But they are a blessing from the Lord.  My grandmother always treated me like that, even in the moments that I knew I wasn’t acting like a blessing.  To her I was.  Sometimes legacy doesn’t always have to be physical children but spiritual ones as well.

Value your legacy, even when you maybe annoyed by them.  Show them that they are special to you.  Make your moments count.  Live the way you want to be remembered.

God has awesome plans for your life.  Get excited!