Becoming a Better Mother: Leaving a Legacy
It is Thought Provoking Thursday and I’ve been thinking a lot about how the future shapes my now.
Thinking about the future and what my children might remember about their mother, helps me stay on track.
My desire for them to have good memories of their mother is sometimes selfish, I admit. But, building a legacy, a gift of love and example, is something that could bring them comfort and strength in the days to come.
I want to leave a legacy that will empower them
What kind of memories will my children to have about me?
Grace or criticism?
Love or anger?
A constant frown or a smile?
A lover of God’s word, or a lover of the internet?
What I do today is what shapes their tomorrow; the moments all stringing together to form one big picture.
Sometimes I think about this great responsibility and I feel overwhelmed. These poor children have ME for a mother! What hope is there for them?
Perhaps that is a little dramatic, but it’s the honest truth. I know me. Full of short comings.
What’s also true is the fact that none of us will be a perfect mother. God knows that, yet He still allows us the privilege of raising precious souls.
Perhaps He has more faith is us than we have in ourselves?
Leaving a legacy that will empower our children doesn’t have to involve grand gestures. It’s mostly about the time we spend and the attitude of love we show. While they may remember special outings or events, what is most firmly implanted in their minds is what happens daily.
I’ve heard people talk about loved ones past and hoped some of those words would be said about me one day. For example, my Grandmother-in-law was the sweetest, Christian woman I’ve ever known. I will always remember her reading her Bible at the table each morning; an example I that inspires me to this day.
I want my kids to vividly remember me reading my Bible too.
They will, if I do it.
And I hope it will inspire them to do the same.
Thinking about the bigger picture, helps me do (and be) better today.
What do you want your children to remember about you?
This is the eleventh post in the Becoming a Better Mother Series.
I would like them to remember that I try to put people before things and that trusting God in all things is the most important thing I can pass on to them.
Love this Kris. Such important stuff!
A very convicting post for me…that line about being a lover of the internet got me! One of my goals this summer is to put the computer away and just spend time being with my kids. Thanks for the encouragement!
I hear you Krissa! I used to keep my laptop on and open all day, but it kept sucking too much time. I’ve recently started shutting it down for extended periods. I don’t want my kids to see the back of my head all day and remember me always being on the computer!
Have fun playing with your kiddies. They will love it 🙂
I really enjoyed this post. I, too, long to leave a legacy for my son. I want him to remember that Mommy trusted God completely. I want him to remember that I believed the Word and did my best to apply it accurately to my life. I want him to remember I loved people and my life was spent reaching them for HIM. I want him to remember he was loved deeply and prayed for desperately.
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Have a blessed day…
Stefanie, I just loved reading that. What a wonderful list of memories you hope to leave. Such important things!
I had a friend who was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer when her baby was 3 mos old. She had several children, and wanted them to have something to remember her. She was given only a few months to live, so she changed her diet and started eating very healthy. She was a crafty gal, loved to create beautiful things. She set about to make some very gorgeous items and filled her home with them. She lived 5 more years, and when she passed, her home was filled with her legacy. Her children had many wonderful handmade items to keep to remind them of their mother. She was always so grateful and positive, I think THAT was the finest legacy she left them. I will always remember her.
Sandi, thanks for sharing that. What an amazing woman. It’s wonderful to hear of someone so determined and intentional. What a blessing to her children and such a great example to all.
I love this post. So many things I want to quote from this. To write down and remember on those especially hard days. I want my children to remember that I loved their father very much and that we tried to obey God no matter where He told us to go or what He told us to do. (We currently live 8 hours from extended family while we are helping plant a church.)
“. . .That loved their father very much and that we tried to obey God no matter where He told us to go or what He told us to do.” So good Emily! I know it is hard to live far away from family (mine in in Australia).
Thanks for your encouragement too.
Frightening/inspiring…we are all leaving some type of legacy….