My son and I were driving together yesterday and we were talking about lifting weights, genetics and what makes a person a great athlete. To top it off the "World's Strongest Man" marathon was on ESPN (and the USA brought home the title for 2007!)
He reminded me of a story I told him a few years ago about a friend of mine from Nigeria who was known in his village as "the son of a man who killed a lion with his bare hands" and how amazing that things like this actually happen. He then looked over at me with a grin and said, "I'm the son of a man who works in a cubicle."
Lately, I have been pondering what kind of legacy I want to leave for my children. When I mentioned this to a friend they reminded me my children ARE my legacy, which got me thinking.
I was talking with the president of a mission organization tonight as he was preparing to be gone for two weeks. He said that he tried being gone for longer periods of time to save money last year but his family took the toll, and it wasn't worth it to him to be gone for so long anymore. He values—cherishes time with his wife and kids.
This is quite a contrast to another fellow I know in the same position who would be gone months at a time and lament that it was a price his kids would have to pay to "reach the lost." Maybe God called him away and it was okay for his wife to teach the kids that Jesus wanted daddy to be gone so much. Maybe it's a cultural thing I don't understand. Maybe I just think families should be together more than the next guy, maybe. Although his kids have grown up to work in missions I wonder what it would have been like if he made his children and his wife a bigger part of his legacy.
What will my legacy be?
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