Your Legacy

By Chris

Before I get started . . . where is bloggin' momma? I'm Jonesin' from the road for some words from my baby. She must have spent all day working hard to make the Indian River community a better place! She's pretty amazing, spreading her sunshine all over children, teachers, administrators, churches and classrooms in the River.

Which brings me to my legacy. Today, on very short notice, I had to prepare and deliver a very brief talk that placed me in 2011 reflecting on what my legacy was, at that point. Ideally, it would reflect me puposefully taking advantage of my unique gifts and callings in achieving my org.'s mission (and you could apply it other parts of life too). I won't bore you with the details . . . but will say that everyone ought to do this. And share it with someone. It makes you think (which I'm convinced our fast-paced culture has made very difficult). It lets you get outside of life happening to you and move towards you happening to your life. It really is an easy exercise to focus on calling and purpose. And, if you don't put it away, I suspect it can serve to keep you on track. I know it's not a new revelation . . . write your own obituary everyday is similar philosophy, I suppose.

I also had to map the high and low points of my life today, then analyze them for similarities and trends, with the idea that I could particularly learn from the points that stick out on the extremes of the graph (good and bad). The idea is to concentrate on the actions that made the mapped line change directions. A deliberate examination of choices. Another good exercise. If you're so inclined, these things can also point out callings and divine placements, when you consider them appropriately. My little reflective map reassured me that, even though I didn't always realize it, I was on a definite course and that the high and low points were wonderfully orchestrated to carry out the next steps on the map with friends Goodness and Mercy always in tow, it turns out (even in the valleys).