Legacies to Share

“God, show me the right path;
guide me on the road I need to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God which saves me.
All day long I await and put my hope in you.
Remember, God, the compassion and lovingkindness,
which you have shown since ages past.
Forget my rebellions and transgressions.
Remember me in the light of your eternal love, my God.”

Psalm 25:4-7

Notes for Contemplation as You Use this Devotional:

• This Psalm is sometimes titled “A Prayer for Guidance.”
• The Psalmist declares their love for God and their desire to be known and remembered for their successes and triumphs, rather than their mistakes and shortcomings.
• The Psalmist also has profound faith in God as eternally loving and compassionate, so that they are guided as is best for them.
• The Psalms are beloved and timeless because they run the gamut of human emotions, everything from sorrows to celebrations.  Especially, they invite us to experience a richer connection with God and with ourselves.
• When we are aware of how we want to be remembered, we can begin living with greater purpose, contributing our unique gifts to our loved ones, community, and the world.
• Rev. Wayne Muller, author of How, Then, Shall We Live, invites us to consider the wonder within our own legacies: “The miracle,” he says, “is not just the gift; the miracle is the offering, for if we do not offer, who will?”

Contemplation Questions:

Ask yourself:

• When I think about my loved ones and those I admire who are no longer living, which qualities and accomplishments do I remember most?
  • Note all the particular people.
  • Note the qualities.
  • Note the accomplishments.

• When I think about my own life, how would I love to be remembered?
  • Free write or draw your own remembrance by listing, word mapping, or illustrating everything you want your loved ones to remember about you.

• When I think about my own life, what gifts can I begin sharing now and which can remain a living legacy after I die?
  • List, word map, or illustrate all the gifts you want to share, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

• When I consider the ways in which I want to be remembered and the gifts I want to share, how do they reflect legacies which loved ones have shared with me?
  • List, word map, or illustrate all the reflections (similarities) that you can find.

• What else do I want to do to live more of the legacy my loved ones have given me?  With which particular people do I want to share them?
  • Note what you want to do.
  • Note the specific people.

• What are at least three (3) things I can begin doing now to nurture and grow my living legacy?
  • List, word map, or illustrate as much as you can imagine.

Take as much time as you need with this devotional.  Focus on the quality of your legacy, not the quantity.  Think of trees to plant, gardens to grow, skills to teach, investments to make, stories to tell, recipes to hand down, and cultural traditions to carry forward.  

As you reflect on God as the divine creative power which guides your life, have faith in your gifts and your ability to discern how best to share them, now and for the future.  Remember that your gifts and your legacy are evidence of God’s lasting, enduring goodness in the world.

© 2021 – Rev. Jennifer L. Sacks – All rights reserved.