On Tuesday, January 19th, my family and I came together for the Homegoing service for my grandmother in Concord, North Carolina. Immediately following her passing ten days prior, the common feeling was of a surreal shock and sadness, but also comfort and joy knowing that grandma Helen knew the Lord and loved Him.

The moments between finding out the news and the day of the funeral contained many indicators of the faithfulness and love of Christ towards my family and I! We received so much prayer, condolences, encouragement, and more. I’m grateful for it.

In the midst of many great moments in the service, one stood out to me greatly. It stood out to me because it concerns something that either was on my mind, or brought up by me in convos for some time now. There was the time for the Scripture reading, and while I read Philippians 4:4-8, my aunt Adrianne read three chapters from the book of Psalms. We also read it from the Bible she used!

This stood out to me, because she mentioned that her Bible was found opened to those chapters, meaning they were the last chapters she was reading before she passed.

This section stood out and impacted me for a few reasons, but first, I’ll give a bit of background. My family and I have never been a fake family, therefore you must know that our relationship with grandma wasn’t ideal or close throughout our lives. I wouldn’t hide that to appear pristine to others.

This isn’t to say that everything was constantly nasty, but to say that it wasn’t all good either. In the midst of these real circumstances, there was never a grudge or bitterness held in our hearts against her in any way, and I love that!

Having that background, the section of Scripture reading impacted me so much because grandma’s life ALWAYS had its foundation on the word of God. Even if I didn’t talk to her heavily in my life, that was the one thing that was a constant in her life.

When I think about my own life; saved and reading the Bible at five years old, living for Jesus, knowing how true it is, and family around me walking in His word, I’m in awe of the legacy God has established in the family.

Legacy is a concept that is generally accepted, yet if we looked at the finite nature of humanity, we wouldn’t be able to have the true concept of legacy without the eternal nature of God who keeps our lives in His remembrance. It’s not to say that people who don’t believe in God can’t remember their loved and celebrated ones, but their memory would ultimately die once the last person that remembers them dies.

This includes historical monuments around the world that illustrate human achievement and wonders. If the world actually existed without God, then the end of the world would end every form of legacy established.

Hearing that grandma had the word of God opened and read it reminded me of the true essence of legacy. A life built upon the word of God is the only legacy worth maintaining (Psalms 37:18).

God has planted eternity in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11), so our drive to create a legacy is of no surprise to me. May our legacy be founded upon His word that endures forever (1 Peter 1:25), the same word that testifies of and leads to Jesus, the God who lives forever.

Grandma, I love you. Enjoy the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I intend to live my life for Him until we all see Him again when He does return. My legacy won’t be my sin, my faults, or my insecurities. It’ll be the work of Jesus in my life, and His life becoming my life, which is the best legacy that could ever be left. The question is will this be your legacy too?

My Dad sings ‘TIS So Sweet in honor of his mother and our grandmother, accompanied by my uncle on the piano: