Castings

I love collecting cowrie shells.

This admittedly is not the manliest of hobbies, so I'll excuse that chuckle that just slipped out. In actuality, the lengths sometimes required of me to acquire these shells really do put my manliness to the test. But this post isn't about masculinity.

I'm not the only person that wants these shells. Therefore, sometimes I have to get up early, or swim out far, or deep, or hike to a beach that is relatively secluded if I want to find good specimens. I have to carry them in pockets back, sometimes a long walk, and sometimes (not often, because I feel slightly bad about killing them) I have to clean the stinky snail out of the shell.

The point is, I want the shell so I go to great lengths to get them.

Now. What does the snail do to create this neat item that I so desire? Basically nothing, outside of living. It could be argued that in the ocean living in and of itself is quite a task, but thats not what I'm going for here. All the snail does is scoot around eating stuff and wa-la! Beautiful shell.

I was thinking the other day about that; What am I doing to leave something worthwhile behind?

Am I leaving anything of value (whether concrete or abstract) behind for future generations, or even the people in the room I just left?

Will people seek out anything that I'm leaving behind or will it all like "dust in the wind", blow away and be forgotten?

What's worth leaving behind, anyway? According to Proverbs, the answers are...

A GOOD NAME
Proverbs 10:7 says that "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot". What you and I do today will effect how we are remembered. We are to live our lives in such a way that just the memory of our life is a blessing to people. Have you ever thought of someone, not necessarily deceased, but just someone who has been in your life at one point and when you thought of them you smiled, or felt good just remembering how they treated you or what they accomplished? We're supposed to be that person.

FAMILY
Proverbs 17:6 says "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their family". Let me be careful here.. There are plenty of people whose genes don't need to be duplicated. However, if we live Godly lives, are wholesome reasonable, and are determined to pass on these characteristics, we are told to "Be fruitful and multiply". In other words, if you're a good person, make more good people.

INHERITANCE
19:14 "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord". So what's supposed to take care of those kids (family) left to continue our legacy? Well, we shouldn't leave them penniless setting them up for failure. How many pro athletes, movie stars, etc make millions only to die in debt? It's not about spending your life in pursuit of making a mint- it's about being responsible.

As an (hopefully not too morbid) aside, think of this: whenever I write anything and 'publish' it (make it available for anybody besides myself to view), I think about how it might be the last thing ever that I write. If you think of things in that light, it makes the concept of your 'legacy' a little different. Imagine your funeral... Somebody says "The last thing he ever had to say was..."

What are YOU leaving behind?