Legacy

Don't know why, but for some reason legacies have been on my mind a lot this week. Maybe it's the start of school, maybe it's the start of football season. But something's got me thinking.......
Merriam-Webster defines "legacy" as something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past. Legacies can come in all sorts of forms. In the South, it's often the family land or grandmother's silver.
This photo shows two fourth-generation Georgia Bulldogs. That's quite a tradition and definitely something to be proud of and to hold onto. The photo also shows two Phi Mu legacies. Not as much of a feat but something special, nonetheless. These girls also inherited the legacy of their names. "Mary" goes several generations back in Stephen's mother's family. Stephen's sister is a Mary; Stephen's mother's sister is a Mary; and Stephen's grandmother is a Mary. My mother's sweet grandmother was "Grace". Even when I was a little girl, I knew that my first daughter would be "Grace". Elsie carries on Big Steve's mother's (Elsie McNeal Kinney) name. Clearly, legacies are special to us. They give us a sense of belonging and importance. We know that no matter where we go or what we do, we belong to something and come from something important: our family.
Infinitely more important, though, is our legacy of being part of Christ's family. I couldn't even guess at how far back this legacy extends. My earliest memories are centered around church, Bible lessons, and the unconditional love that only comes from a personal relationship with Jesus. I picture my ancestors in some little white church in the mountains of Alabama. Mabye that's a romanticized notion but it may not be that far off. Stephen and I both were blessed with Christian homes and families. We are carrying that tradition on in our own home. It's woven in the fabric of our family history and is the greatest legacy we can pass down to our own children and grandchildren. We don't live near our blood family but we have our own church family right here with us. We are thankful for all of you, near and far, still in this life or passed on, who are carrying on the tradition.