By Cindy Allen
Our youngest son is getting married…in 11 days. He is 27 years old and he has known since the 4th date this was the girl for him. They have gone to marriage counseling. She was raised in church by
great parents. On paper, they should have the perfect foundation. But this morning, during my quiet time, momma panic set in.
great parents. On paper, they should have the perfect foundation. But this morning, during my quiet time, momma panic set in.
Let me set the stage a little. It is a destination wedding. We are headed to Sedona, Arizona; they think it will be pretty for pictures. But because of this, two showers and a couple of discussions is about all the “wedding planning” I have been involved in. Yet, in 11 days our baby boy will be a married man. I saw the rings; it is really happening.
God, did I prepare him for this? Forgive me, for I do not think I have prayed enough for them, prayed the right things over them. Did I tell him everything he needs to know? Were Greg and I good examples of a godly marriage? Did we give these precious kids a godly foundation to build on? This is what my quiet time consisted of this morning; I still have a tightness in my chest. But God. God is the answer to these questions and many, many others. “When I am weak, he is strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God knew these kids before they were born into the Allen and Green families.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). In that one verse God tells Jeremiah: I
formed you, I knew you, I set you aside, I appointed you. He did the same things for my kids. He did the
same things for you, your kids, our friends, our husbands, our church family, the lost. All of that applies
to all of us.
I pray I did my best to prepare our son for marriage, but God can fill in all the places I missed.
That is where our hope comes from, not from our efforts, but from God’s. I will still answer questions. I
will still be there to offer support. But I will always be praying and pointing to God.
As we wrap up our year of digging into legacy, I think we have all probably thought of some
shortcomings. When I compare myself to my mom, the way she poured into our family and her church
family, I feel as though I fall very short. I think of the “church ladies” that are/were a couple of
generations before me and I shake my head. They seemed so rooted in the word, so knowledgeable.
Mrs. Syble taught beginner Sunday School forever. Mrs. Hood piled teenagers in her car and took us all
over the place. My mom was the VBS director for over 20 years and who knows how many kids enjoyed Kool-Aid and Jesus. Then I look at myself, my attitudes, my knowledge, and I fall short.
But you know what, I bet those ladies felt like they fell short sometimes too. That is the beauty
of trying to build a godly legacy, it doesn’t depend us. It doesn’t build up Christians. It builds up God.
We have not succeeded if people say, look at her life or look what she did. We have succeeded if our
wins AND failures point others to God.
I think I am going to show this post to our son. Maybe he will realize that I tried my best even
though my best wasn’t always good enough. But he can be reminded there is one who’s best is
ALWAYS good enough and hopefully that is the one I have pointed him too. Hopefully, that is the legacy
I have given to him.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for my family. My kids who were taught right from wrong.
My parents who taught me right from wrong. We all make choices; we all leave a legacy. Please fill in
the gaps where my legacy falls short. Please let others see you in me. Please be so present in our kids’
lives that they can’t turn away from you no matter how hard the world pulls. Thank you for the people
who poured into me, bless the efforts I make at pouring into others. In Jesus’ precious, holy name,
AMEN
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 1; John 17: 20-25; Psalm 112
RESPONSE: Give yourself some forgiveness for areas you feel you have fallen short in. If you have asked
God to forgive you, he certainly has. Don’t let Satan keep holding it up to you. When we have fallen
short, let us be reminded that our big God is backing us up and moving us forward. Our legacy isn’t a
one and done thing, it is ever developing. The words of Jeremiah 1:1 are as true for you as they were for
Jeremiah, so grab hold of them and march out. We have a godly legacy to build.
God to forgive you, he certainly has. Don’t let Satan keep holding it up to you. When we have fallen
short, let us be reminded that our big God is backing us up and moving us forward. Our legacy isn’t a
one and done thing, it is ever developing. The words of Jeremiah 1:1 are as true for you as they were for
Jeremiah, so grab hold of them and march out. We have a godly legacy to build.