Family Retreat

We enjoy giving and receiving gifts. While we receive and give gifts any time, we are probably most accustomed to receiving gifts at Christmas, anniversaries, or birthdays. Wonderful tradition. Gift giving and receiving celebrates life and the specialness of a relationship. Sometimes gifts are simple; sometimes they are profound, but generally gifts express some sense of love and appreciation. Families give and receive gifts all the time. In fact, families are constantly giving and receiving gifts. Not the store bought kind; not even the homemade kind, but the kind of gift which comes from the way we treat each other and think about each other. To put it another way—it doesn’t matter what stage of life you are in—single or married, with or without children—we want to leave a legacy which says something about us and about our family. We want to be able to not only make an individual impact in this world, but we want our family to be something that speaks about our love and commitment to each other and to the Father.

The truth is we are going to leave a legacy. The real gift that we give and receive is to leave a legacy which demonstrates the love of God and the love of family. Sometimes that can be difficult. Some of us have already been left a legacy which is one of pain and discomfort. Such a legacy does not have to be long lasting, but it cannot be forgotten either. In those cases, we try to give to our current family a different gift—a legacy of security and confidence. A legacy is a gift handed down from an ancestor or from the past. Some families take leaving a legacy for their children and families very seriously. Others approach such a daunting task with apathy.

Don’t you want to capture the heart of your family in such a way that the heritage and legacy you leave connects with the past, the present and prepares the child or family for the future? Don’t you want to leave a legacy that speaks volumes about God and relationship with him?

Legacies are not left in such a short time. A legacy comes from living a lifetime. You don’t need me or anyone else to tell you what kind of legacy to leave. You already know what it means to leave a gift of love and commitment to our family. Sometimes we get confused though on how best to leave that legacy or gift. We do this most times through traditions and practices. This is what our families remember. Isn’t this what Jesus did in the upper room when he used what was common, the Passover feast, and gave it a new tradition and practice? So as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper each Sunday we share in a legacy that goes all the way back to the Exodus from Egypt. This is one way that God’s legacy has been passed on to us through this tradition and practice.

So what will be your legacy? What will you pass on to your family? Without intent and purpose, we will pass on things that may not make as much of an impact as a legacy which is based on God, his love, and our commitment to him.

Follow Jesus

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