Legends and Legacies

Have you ever heard of people talk about the legacy someone leaves behind? Sometimes it's a legacy of a successful career, or a generous heart. Sometimes it's how strong their faith was or the dozens of people they helped. Hebrews 11 is a chapter dedicated to the legacies of people who walked by faith. Most of them are what we consider legends of the faith.

"By faith Noah..."

"By faith Abraham..."

"And by faith even Sarah..."

"By faith Issac..."

"By faith Jacob..."

"By faith Joseph..."

"By faith Moses' parents..."

"By faith Moses..."

"By faith the prostitute, Rahab..."

Pieces of Hebrews 11:7-31

So many people commended by their faith! They weren't perfect, Noah got really drunk right after he got off the ark. Abraham lied repeatedly as did Sarah. Jacob favored one child over the others. Moses killed a man and Rahab was a prostitute but God forgave them those sins. He not only forgave them but blessed them and used their lives to teach us lessons about faith.

I've also been very blessed with a legacy of faith left by my family but that doesn't mean that it was always easy for them either. Just a couple of days ago I heard a story about the faith of my great-grandparents.

My great-grandparents had six children they were raising during the Great Depression and life was hard for everyone. They were no exception.One day Great-Grandma had run out of a loaf of bread and needed some in order to feed her children. It cost a dime but they didn't have any money, not even ten cents. We find dimes, nickles, even quarters when we're sweeping the floor, cleaning the couch or vacuuming the car. It's hard to imagine being that poor but they were. 

Anyways, Great-Grandma was a woman of great faith and she told her whole family, all the children, and Great-Grandpa, to pray with her that God would provide the money so she could buy some bread. 

Great-Grandpa was a carpenter and he happened to take off the door of a cupboard so that he could fix it. When the door came off a dime fell out! It had somehow gotten stuck in there and none of them knew but God did. And He provided the dime in the most unexpected of places. 

Legends and legacies. Legends like stories of how God provides and legacies like how people will remember you some day. What stories is God doing in your life today that will become legend? And how are you living your life today that will sometime become your legacy?