Living Life with Love and Leaving a Legacy
Fall is known as the season of change, and as fall begins I like to think about what kind of change I will go through. Change comes in many different forms and sometimes it feels like you are not going through any changes, but that just means you are right where God wants you to be. This year I feel like I am in a slump, but then I started thinking about all the things in my life and I can’t help but wonder, Have I been living the life God has wanted for me? If I am feeling stuck it is probably because I am missing something, and God wants me to wait in this stage just a bit longer to make a difference to those that come in and out of our lives.
On the way home from a road trip, I was asking my best friend why is it that Christians live so differently than those with no faith. She said, without hesitation,
“Because Christians are not afraid to die.”
Wow! That was such an eye-opening thing to say because in my life it is true. I believe I am living my life with no regrets while spreading my love for others just as Jesus would. Everyone wants to live but nobody wants to die. On that same car ride, my best friend and I were asking each other questions and we had to say 5 things we loved about each other. She told me,
“I love that your faith is not forced upon anyone. Like we all know you have faith in God, but you don’t ever rub it in our faces. You are always there praying for us, and it is a comforting presence, and even though we may not have the same faith as you…you still love us for who we are.”
When she said that I got the warmest feeling in my heart because that is the type of legacy I want to leave behind. I want to be known for all my different qualities, and sometimes I think that my protective and angry emotions can get in the way of that. At the end of the day, it is all about the long game and how you decide to play it, and who you decide to play it with.
When people die, they leave behind their memory and their life story, but who is going to tell that story? The legacy we leave behind will be told by all the people you impacted in the span of your life, and that is how the love of God endures forever because that is the most important thing people can leave behind.
In my past posts, I talked about a movie called Big Fish. That movie has changed my perspective on life every time I see it, but the main thing that I love to see is a man who walks through life his own way and touches so many lives in the process. Edward Bloom lived a life telling stories and although those stories seemed over the top they were based on true events, but his son Will couldn’t see the reason for all his stories. In the end, Will learned that it was how his father connected with people, and that’s how he lived on forever was through his stories. During the funeral, lots of cars and people started showing up, and Will realizes that not only was his dad telling the truth, but everyone showed up to the funeral not because of death but because of the love and respect they had for Edward and his family.
Death is not the final chapter in my life, there is so much more, but it is what we do here on Earth that matters. God wants us to lead by example, and to tell you from experience it is not always easy. The devil will trip you and create obstacles, but every time we get back up and live for God it weakens the devil's hold on us. When I die, I want to be met at Heaven’s gate and I want to hear God say,
“Well done good and faithful servant.”
I look back on these seasons of change and I try to think of new ways to reach people or look for new opportunities to make a difference. You know the saying; you have big shoes to fill? I want to leave big shoes, but I don’t want people to be intimidated by them. It may seem like I do difficult things but when you have God on your side there is nothing we cannot do.
Another movie I tend to think about when it comes to living with love is Cinderella (2015). This movie is not only SO beautiful but there are so many life lessons to take away. People think that if you are put in a terrible situation there is no way you can get out. WRONG! Your life is what you make it, and whether you are in a bad situation or not there is always a choice for a better life. Ella was treated terribly by her stepfamily, both her parents passed away, and even though she thought little of herself she always had time to boost up others. Her mother taught her to have courage and be kind, and she was the sweetest one to everyone even her wicked stepfamily.
In this version, Ella blew my mind because she never held a grudge toward her family. In all the other versions I have seen Ella leaves her family on bad terms, and although payback can taste so sweet I truly believe in the power of killing them with kindness.
No matter how badly she was treated, Ella was never consumed by hatred and it was because of the love she had for her mother and father she was willing to be kind and forgive her stepfamily. I highly believe that Kit and Ella’s rule was written in the history books because they a life full of love not only for each other but for their people as well.
How do you want to be remembered, Dear Reader? Are you living a life worth telling stories about? If not I would encourage you to take this season of change think about how you can live your life with love. God has given us many gifts, but the greatest is love and if we can live our lives spreading His love we will be blessed for eternity.
Always remember,
“Heroes get remembered but legends never die.”
Until next time,
Peace out lovers!
