How to Leave an Unforgettable Legacy
The words popped into my inbox at precisely the right time:
“Jennifer, I’m writing to let you know that God delights in you.”
The note came from Dave. He was a pastor who lived about a half-hour from our farm. Over the years, he had become a dear friend to my husband and me.
Dave wasn’t our pastor, but in many ways, he was a spiritual mentor. Quite regularly, he would drop me a line, reminding me that I was loved by God, just as I was, not as I thought I should be.
Dave had a Brennan Manning-esque quality to him that made you know that no matter how badly you’d blown it, God would not walk out on you.
He ended most of his notes with these four words: “God delights in you.”
Dave had a ministry of words — and I wasn’t the only one on the receiving end. He spread kindness everywhere he went, like confetti. If you were his friend on Facebook, there was a 100 percent chance that you’d get a birthday greeting on your wall, along with the reminder that “God delights in you.”
We all need a friend like Dave, someone who is generous with kind words and who consistently reminds us that we are treasured by God, even when we feel busted up by the world.
But there’s more: We also need to be that friend.
This is a story about what it means to leave an unforgettable legacy. Join me today at (in)courage.
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Jennifer, I believe kindness is one of the greatest
things we can show to this world. Words are so
important. I am firmly against flattery or using
“nice” words to manipulate or coerce; But when
sincere words of kindness are spoken it’s like
water to our souls. I want to be an encourager like
your friend. Barnabus comes to mind;
his very name means “son of exhortation and
comfort.” May we all be encouragers in the body
of Christ!!