Life Lessons from Biblical Parents: The Geneology

I will be the first to admit, the genealogy chapters are not my favorite ones to read.  There is something about reading a list of names with minimum amounts of information given about them that just does not hold my attention.  However, as I was reading the chapters between Noah and Abraham, I asked God to show me something in these names and people who He thought were important enough to list for us.

So what did I see?  We need to leave more than a name for our children to remember us by.  There are many lists of people in the Bible, but out of those lists, only a few individuals stand out.  David had many wives but the one we remember the most is Abigail.  Solomon had many, many wives, and yet the one who stands out is the young woman who the Song of Solomon was written for.  There are so many people here today, so will we stand out in some way?

The reason each of these people stood out is because they did something, they rose to the occasion, they stepped out in faith.  The genealogy list for now stops at Abram because he did something.  He left his family and went to a place that God directed him to go by faith and became the father of a great nation.  David's wife Abigail stands out because before she became David's wife she was married to the foolish Nabal. Although it might have meant her life, she begged David to spare the life of her husband.  Her courage caused David to marry her once she became a widow.  The young Shulamite woman stood out to Solomon among all of his wives and concubines perhaps because of the open, unashamed love she showed the great king.

No matter where we are in life, high school, college, just starting a career, marriage, motherhood, empty nest, golden years, we must determine to leave a legacy to our children, family, and all who know us.  We need to make sure that our names are not just a blip on the radar, not just a side note, not just an afterthought.   We need to live our lives purposefully, asking God to show us daily His will for our life, His desires for us, and to give us the strength to accomplish what He plans for us to do. 

I am always reminded of the legacy that my mother left, a legacy that I share here quite often.  I pray that I influence my daughter (children) so much that they remember all of the things that I instill into them the way that I remember the lessons that my mother instilled into us.  At her funeral, there were people present from many different parts of the country.  People from many walks of life, race, and nationality were touched by her and the things she taught them.  Some of you who knew my mother are still emailing me and recounting with me "Mom moments" that made an impression on your life that you still remember.  That is legacy that I want to carry on.

The following song, Legacy, is one that has always pulled at my heart.  May we all leave legacies to those who we come in contact with.