Dropping off my daughter at Kindergarten this week has forced me to think about legacy. I don't mind thinking and talking about the best of what I can give my children that would influence and establish the next ring of the tree trunk, but as I watched Lara run up the sidewalk and excitedly enter her classroom, I was reminded of how little time I have with her. Knowing my time constraints, I have little choice but to act quickly and with precision to communicate (mostly through demonstration) to all our children the things that matter.
I believe in God's generational plan. More clearly stated in Exodus 20.5 it reads: "I , the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." I remember in my early days of faith understanding that God's intervention in my life wasn't just about me but about multiple generations. I'm sure that as a high school and college student I didn't fully comprehend the implications of what it means to be connected to generations of people both past and future. I'm confident that I still don't fully understand. This viewpoint, in some ways, gives the impression that what I do (my assigned generation) is of minor consequence compared to the work of my lineage as a whole. Not having complete control of the ultimate whole of God's plan, my leaf in the family tree is just that, a leaf, a single part of the whole tree. From the opposite view and surely a more complete view, what I do plays a role in the outcome for the next generation beyond. I expect a sarcastic "No kidding" as that last concept rolls past your brain. I know, I know, Who would disagree with that notion?! Just wait a second. Maybe we understand this presumption in too simplistic of terms.
Here is what I mean. As a person, am I limited in the resources inherited or passed down unintentionally from the generation before? If I would have done nothing in my life but mimic the values, decisions, lifestyle, environment, etc. of my parents (the demonstrated example they set) would I be a replica of who they are? Of course, there are no exact copies of any single individual, but each of us, I believe, carry fibers of the individuality of those to bore and raised us. Assuming that concept is true, how much of our own individuality (created through our own experiences) mixed with the traits we inherited, effect the family tree on the whole? How much of an impact does hard work, creativity, faith, study, etc. (any such traits that were not directly passed down) feed or kill the growth of the legacy of an individual or the heritage of a family?
Because my parents laid a strong foundation, they are apart of who I am. Not exclusively, but a significant part. Now it is up to me to build upon what was passed down starting with acknowledging the value of what they have given and connecting these important and valuable traits with new valuable stuff that my personal experiences are teaching me. In matters of a fully cultivated and flourishing family tree a single generational view does not suffice. Singly focused on embracing the past or just making aggressive plans for the present only keep the tree alive. Is my short time here about survival or about realizing and experiencing the love of God for a thousand generations?
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