On the eve of Father's Day, I find myself humbled and eternally grateful for having an amazing earthly father and the perfect Heavenly Father. I can honestly say that I have been blessed more than I'll ever deserve by both. There are no words to express the depth of love and admiration I have for both.
Both have sacrificed themselves for my gain when I did not deserve it. They did this not out of obligation, but instead out of selfless love. They have left a legacy that is alive in me today. I'm thankful that neither expects perfection, but instead just willingness. They have both shown me grace and instilled in me that that very grace is NOT an excuse to sin. Grace should be a motivation going forward, from that moment of sin, to be more like the Perfect Father. The actions of the Father are His legacy. Love is not a word or a feeling. Those are ways to express love, but they are not love. Love IS an action. Without the action, the words and feelings are hollow, meaningless, and will without fail prove to be false.

God, through His actions, including forgiveness, has left us all a legacy of LOVE.

It's never too late to leave a legacy...
The moments of today are NOT guaranteed tomorrow.

One of the beautiful things about God is that it is not required of any of us to be a father in order to have an impact and leave a legacy. We can impact each other, as a human race, with every kind word of encouragement or with every negative, hurtful word. With great power comes great responsibility, as the saying goes. We are all given the power to help grow and heal each other, or we can cause each other to be ripped apart at our heart's core.

We will never know the extent of how much we have changed the lives around us and how much our children learn from our example and choices. Be aware of what your children hear, see, and witness, because they will learn from the ones closest to them.

What legacy are you leaving today? Is your legacy one of God's unconditional love, grace, respect, purity, and forgiveness, or is it one of hurt, shame, and sinful actions?

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in Truth

Lord, I pray over all of those today who read this. May they hear your still small voice among the chaos of the world. May you shine light on our dark paths of sin and selfishness. Bring us hope when we see none. Father, guide our steps and restore our hearts with joy overflowing so that all may see You in us. Heavenly Father, give us peace in the pain and the loss. We ask that you give us hearts that crave and ache for your love as long as You provide us with breath. Father, make us humble enough to seek out those we have wronged. Empower us to overcome the chains of the world in our lives. Give us the strength to leave the legacy for our children of purity, love, grace, selflessness, and forgiveness. Thank you for never leaving us and for always believing in us as only a Perfect Father does. Heavenly Father we praise you for the blessings of our children, our family, and Your grace. Amen

Leave a legacy NOT for today, but for eternity

From Relentless Love:
I was asked after the funeral for one of them why I did not seem very upset. I simply replied, “I’m just thankful for the time God gave me with her, because He never promised me any at all.” Shouldn’t we approach our time with each other in the same way every day? Instead of being bitter about what we do NOT have, can’t we just truly be thankful for what we do have? Can we just choose to live a life like these—lives filled with moments of influence, inspiration, love, and not discouragement? This season has convinced me that we will never understand the depths of our love for somebody until we no longer have the opportunity to give our love to them.
We claim to have faith, but do we act with confidence or with doubt when He calls us? Do we approach God with our gratitude instead of our negative attitude? Are we Christians of only knowledge, or are we Christians of action? Are we Christians who walk through the daily challenges of disappointment, the constant fires intentionally set by others, and the curveballs of unpredictability with confidence that God has control of those events we cannot control?
These lives were blessings from God to all of us. Every second we had with each one of them was a miracle. They were earthly lives of purpose, and while not perfect, they were all beautiful because their faith in God was evident. Every minute was irreplaceable. Every cherished memory is unforgettable. Their continuing impact will be never-ending, like an unending wave whose vibrations are felt well beyond the ripples we see. Life is a gift that is only limited in time and not in whom we have the ability to affect along the way.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)