Leaving A Legacy

Leaving a legacy is something that we all do whether we intend to or not. This idea of legacy is my self reflection for the month of September. Have you ever thought about the legacy you will leave? What will people remember about you when you are gone?

Monday, September 19,2022 was the Queen of England’s funeral service. Also on that day, Russell Moore of Christianity today announced on Instagram that it was the 25th anniversary of the death of Rich Mullins.

Wait! What? Rich Mulllins is dead? I had no idea he was gone. If you don’t know, Rich Mullins was a famous Christian singer/songwriter. I listened to his songs in the 90’s and still love to hear them!

I immediately thought of his song, “Awesome God.” It was a song of my children’s childhood. My son had two favorite songs when we was little– “I’ve Got Friends In Low Places” and “Awesome God.”

I texted my son and daughter a link to the song and told them about finding out it was the 25th anniversary of Mullins’ death. I delighted in their responses of the memories of this song and their childhoods. If we weren’t listening to a cassette tape of Psalty The Singing Songbook, we were listening to cassettes of other Christian artists as we ran errands in our minivan. Rich Mullins’ music go t a lot of airtime in our lives.

Me not knowing that Rich Mullins had passes away so long ago coupled with the Queen’s funeral had my mind racing about the idea of leaving a legacy. I wasn’t aware of Rich Mullins passing because I still listen to his beautiful music.

The legacy we leave is a lot like music. What we put out into the world has lasting ramifications. Songwriters and composers live forever through their music. I want to make sure that the music of my life is pleasing and life affirming to those with whom I have relationships. My life’s melody will live forever.

I can still hear the wise words of my grandmother. Luckily, I still have my mother to talk to daily, but in her absence, I know what she would say about just about everything. Both my mother and grandmother have filled me with beautiful melodies of saying and truths that I will never forget.

We are the composers of our life’s symphonies. Our actions, values, and choices live on in those that we influence. If I want to be intentional about the life music that I compose. I need to fee my soul with truth and make sure that my whole life is a process of continued learning and personal growth. Reread the scripture at the top of the post with these thoughts in mind.

I must be mindful of my intake so that my output is pure and worthy of what God has called me to do. What I consume through what I read, watch, and listen to matters. I must set aside time for self reflection to see if I am still on track of life goals. Goalsetting is a life long process.

Self Reflection also includes memories. Making time to reflect on the days gone by is extremely important to keep me on track. Thinking back to the wisdom that my parents and grandparents bestowed on my and making sure that I share those values with my children and grand children is what life is about.

September Self Reflection Questions

What life music will you leave after you are gone? What section of your life’s symphony will be most remembered?

Who left a lasting impact on your life? What can you do to emulate them and keep their chorus ringing through for generations to come?

Extensions

I was a member of Chi Omega sorority when I was in college. What made me choose Chi Omega was the reading of the Chi Omega Symphony on the last night of Rush. When I heard it, I thought to myself, “that is the kind of woman I want to be.” I’ve never forgotten it’s words, and I try to live up to them in my daily life.

Below are some of my favorite Rich Mullins songs.

Spotify Playlists

I’ve been having fun creating playlists. Please feel free to follow me.

Christian Favorites Playlist– I have several Rich Mullins songs on here.

Grandkids– I have relived my children’s childhoods making this playlist. We listened to these songs every day! I’ll be adding more as I think of them. Many Psalty songs on here.

All Playlists can be found at this link.