What is Your Most Valuable Legacy?

One of the items I chose from my mother's things, when we sorted through the three-level farmhouse back in March, was a crazy quilt hand-stitched by her Great Aunt Lena, dating back to the early 1900's.

The silk swatches have deteriorated, leaving threads of blue, brown and burgundy. The wools, in a rainbow of shades--red, purple, blue and green--are still beautiful, held in place by Aunt Lena's tiny, embroidered feather stitches.

I remember the day my mom was given the quilt from her mother. I remember as a young girl running my hand over the soft fabrics. I never met Aunt Lena, who died before I was born, but I was introduced to her when I typed up a collection of old letters last year.

The letters written in 1934 to my grandfather, Nels, from my grandmother, Lillian, talk about Lillian quilting with her Great Aunt Lena and helping with other chores as Lena's eyesight is failing. Lillian is torn between caring for Lena and desiring to get married to Nels, a widower with eight children.

Lillian writes, I certainly am surprised to see how Aunt Lena has gotten so thin since last year we were here. She has one cow which she milks, it’s good as long as she is able to do some things as it helps to pass the time. She said her reading days were gone and she told me it was no use for her to look in a looking glass for she couldn’t see anything. I don’t think any of us can realize how bad it must be; it’s a good thing we don’t know what we have to go thru before we are there.

I now begin to see why we didn’t go ahead and do what we had talked of. I think it is God leading us, don’t you?

He leadeth me, O blessed thot. O words with heavenly comfort fraught.

What ‘ere I do, where ‘ere I be, still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

I know it is a big sacrifice for you and I, and I know you are lonesome so much of the time that I wish things had not been so bad here. Will you consent to let me give them one winter of my company? I am sure that God will bless us for making the sacrifice.

Will you pray over it for a week and then let me know your answer? Dearest Nels, please don’t worry and grieve over this but let us leave ourselves and future in His hand and He will lead us.

I am guessing the quilt is one of the oldest items that I own, passed from Lena to Lillian to my mom and to me. The quilt may be old, but it is not the most valuable or the most long lasting of things I have inherited.

This weekend our family drove to Tucson to be witnesses of our granddaughter, Madelyn's, baby dedication. The pastor talked about the meaning of her name, a derivative of Magdela, after a village on the Sea of Galilee. In Hebrew Magdela means high tower. He spoke of her purpose and destiny. 

"I'm not sure how many generations have loved Jesus in your family," the pastor said to Madelyn, "but I know your parents and grandparents do."

I did the math in my head. Her parents. Us. My parents. Their parents. Their parents' parents....

Eight. 

Madelyn is the eighth recorded generation of children who have been placed in pastors' hands, prayed over by a congregation and dedicated to God. The written history begins with the arrival of Brita on my side of the family in 1866 from Norway. 

The pastor handed Madelyn back to her parents. Standing with his wife, my son prayed a blessing over his daughter while our hearts joined in beside him.

Psalm 103:17 promises, "But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children" (NIV).

Everlasting. I love that word. Constantly reoccurring. Eternal. No limits.

The most valuable and long-lasting item I have inherited from my parents and parents' parents is a legacy of faith. A legacy I chose as my own, my pieces of fabric stitched into the generations. With that legacy comes a promise of God's everlasting love to my children and children's children.

What encourages me about this promise is that the love of God is available to everyone. There is no expiration date written in small print on the bottom line. 

From everlasting to everlasting is the bottom line.

Want to rewrite your family's destiny? 

You can be the person to begin the legacy. You can be the first one who makes a stand in your family. Not just for yourself but for your children and children's children. 

1961 My Baptism.

1984 Nathan's dedication with my family.  Hurrah for big hair.

Below: Madelyn's dedication. 2014.