A Legacy of Life by Tabitha Meglich
He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.
—Psalm 105:8 NIV
Now and again, a simple life experience becomes a pivotal moment in our faith journey. Such was one spring day when my husband and I headed north with our three youngest children to visit the Frederik Meijer Botanical Gardens.
We were on a home-school field trip and excited to explore the five-story conservatory with its lush vegetation, waterfall, and hundreds of free-flying birds and butterflies. Our adventure had just begun when we passed through a small atrium where a special exhibit—a bonsai collection on loan from Japan—was displayed.
Like the sentinels of an ancient paragon, a dozen or so miniature trees stood on ornately carved pedestals. Inscriptions revealed the species and age of each—willow, cherry, cypress, and juniper—some exceeding 500 years old.
The room faded as I gazed at those living sculptures. Every twist of a limb and curve of a trunk was mesmerizing. I gripped my husband's hand tighter as moisture welled in my eyes. The growing lump in my throat became a dike for the emotion that threatened to spill over. I braced myself for fear it would breach, and I would succumb to audible sobs and a torrent of tears.
I had never seen a more striking imprint of devotion.
Each of these botanical specimens, crafted through the dedication of one individual, remained a thriving masterpiece centuries later. The trees spoke to me of a kind of continuity and wholeness—of the nurturing of a living heritage, handed down from predecessor to successor in an unbroken lineage of tender care. If just one generation proved unfaithful, the legacy would perish.
Is this not the essence of generational faith? Legacy faith?
I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. (Ps. 78:2–4, 7 NIV)
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LEGACY GROWS FROM PERSPECTIVE
In the years following, pondering the memory of those tiny trees inspired me to consider how legacy differs from inheritance.
Inheritance is a tangible bequest conferred upon death. The possibilities are endless, but all inheritance shares a common characteristic. The material substance comprising it can be exhausted, lost, or discarded. An inheritance can quickly dissipate.
Leg·a·cy ['legǝsi] noun: the intangible heritage that exists as a consequence of the actions and influence of an individual (author’s definition)
Legacy has a living quality that outlasts the one crafting it—something achieved, created, or instilled in others. Legacy is a foundation others can build on. A worthy legacy endures and perpetuates through generations.
Legacy-focused living begins with a change of perspective. Each of those bonsai trees, as exquisite as they are, will eventually die. The true legacy is the heart behind their creation—the vision and intention required to cultivate a living masterpiece.
As creatures of chronology, we naturally view ourselves through the finite lens of human experience within the bookends of our lives. Our Creator, however, sees from an eternal perspective. His plans extend beyond the span of a single lifetime.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Ps. 33:1 NIV)
Legacy living begins when we understand that our faith is not simply the outworking of redemption in the everyday of our individual lives. Of course, it is that, but also so much more. My life and yours are part of a grand tapestry—a single thread interwoven with the lives of others, those who have gone before, and those yet to come. The Spirit's redemptive work in me is designed to extend beyond my lifetime.
Once I embrace that truth, everything changes. My thoughts shift from "Lord, what are your plans for my life?" to "Lord, what is your plan, and how does my life fit into it."
The legacy perspective redirects my focus from the temporal to the eternal. I am no longer content investing my life in pursuit of "wood, hay and stubble" that will not endure (1 Cor. 11–13), but recognize the opportunity to cultivate a legacy that will lead others to Jesus—the Legacy of Life.
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LEGACY IS STORY
My mother wrote two legacy books before her passing—loving compilations of the lineage and stories comprising her Swiss immigrant heritage. Though she is gone, her precious memories are preserved in the pages of her story. Each of her descendants, down to great-great-grandbabies, were gifted copies sure to be cherished for years to come.
Yet, as with all earthly things, even that legacy will eventually fade. The truth is that our memories, our stories, and even our names are forgotten with time. Solomon wisely mused, “No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them” (Eccles. 1:11 NIV).
There is just one story that withstands the ravages of time—the eternal Story of Redemption. It is a tale of everlasting love so unfathomably great it compelled the Father to send the Son to shed his blood to purchase our redemption. This truth is the fertile soil from which the Legacy of Life grows.
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Pet. 1:23 NIV)
Cultivating the Legacy of Life begins with understanding that any enduring legacy begins and ends with Jesus. He is the source of life and the heart of any legacy worth leaving. Our story must echo his story.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. (Ps. 71:18 NIV)
Every believer's journey includes valiant victories and epic failures. We are a living narrative through which the Story of Stories is being told—the story of God's faithfulness, love, and grace. Our lives are a testament to the rebuilding of ruins as our brokenness is transformed into beauty.
The artistry of bonsai glorifies the one whose hands shape an ordinary tree into a thing of exquisite beauty. Likewise, our lives are intended to glorify the one who transforms us into a reflection of Christ Jesus.
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LEGACY IS A LIVING THING
What do others observe in our life that might compel them toward faith in Jesus? How will our story inspire them to embrace the Legacy of Life we hope to pass on?
The bonsai on display that day were ancient, but not relics. They remained green and thriving at 500-600 years of age because they had been well stewarded. Imagine the intention required to tend a single tree over a lifetime. It was not an heirloom to be sat on a shelf to collect dust, an artifact to be stowed in an attic and forgotten. It was a living heritage that came with responsibility.
The trees in that exhibit did not survive a half-century by being regarded as trivial possessions. Each heir in the lineage chose to cherish them—not for days, months, or even years, but for a lifetime.
The same is true of faith. It cannot be stashed in a closet and pulled out on Sunday. Faith must be nurtured to thrive. It must be lived authentically.
I once conducted training for ministry leaders and, inspired by this experience, planned to use a bonsai tree for illustration. After much searching, I found one in a local craft store. As far as plastic trees go, it was reasonably convincing, but you didn't have to be an arborist to see that it wasn't real. It was merely the façade of a tree.
As we consider legacy living, we must remember that we can't fake living faith any more than I could pass off that plastic bonsai as the real thing.
Many of us were handed a heritage of religious tradition. While some spiritual treasure may undoubtedly be gleaned from that experience, devotion to an institution, ministry, or checklist has little eternal merit. Religion, in itself, lacks the power to transform the heart.
Only a personal relationship with Christ can breathe life into the soul.
When our lives are firmly rooted in the Lord and surrendered to his hand, we flourish as we are transformed into a living masterpiece that glorifies the Creator. As he becomes the unmistakable object of our affection, others will be inspired to trust in him.
By God's grace, you and I can cultivate a legacy of living faith: an intangible inheritance that moth and dust cannot corrupt and thieves cannot break in and steal—a Legacy of Life.
Tabitha Meglich is mother to five, grandmother to nine, and wife to a man with a heart of gold. A science teacher by trade, she instinctively connects to scripture through nature and in the beautiful ordinary. Her passion is creating thought-provoking words that challenge others to know scripture deeply, follow Christ passionately, and live faith radically. Her work has landed in Joyful Life Magazine, Iola Magazine, Our Story Magazine and Devoted Collective. She currently writes from the vast plains of North Dakota and you can find her blog at www.ajoyfulsparrow.com and connect with her on Instagram @ajoyfulsparrow.
