On the rocks

I took my grandchildren out to help clean up the pine cones out of the yard before the first mowing this spring. The charm of putting pine cones into the bucket, soon gave way to the attraction of gathering rocks from our gravel driveway. The nearly three-year-old commandeered the toy car, and loaded the trunk with stones. The 18-month old had loftier goals: she hauled her bucket of rocks up into the skyfort--then started unloading them down the slide chute onto the grass.

What?? That wasn't the plan. So do I get annoyed that my pine cone crew wandered off? Do I get as much work done as I can while my little helpers are occupied elsewhere? And who is supposed to get the rocks out of the grass? Parents have to creatively deal with these distractions to keep their parenting plans from being "on the rocks."

--Excuse me. I have an 18-month old calling me to come catch her when she comes down the slide.

Leaving a legacy

I saw this quote at a restaurant recently: "Without children having that McDonald's experience, we wouldn't have any legacy." How casually we create our traditions, not realizing that those experiences become our legacy.

It is not unusual to hear media hype regarding "legacy" as politicians near the end of their term. The politician themselves will actively promote a pet project hoping it will be "their legacy." In the end it is rarely the pet project, but rather an accumulation of the small details of life that become the legacy.

I was thinking that we each leave our legacy in those small details. For the Christian, to leave a worthwhile legacy, is to be intentional: to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:5), to let our speech be with grace (Colossians 4:6), and to do our work heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:24.)

What will your legacy be? Are you taking steps to intentionally leave a legacy?

God bless...


Millie McNabb, B.A., B.Mus.

Strategies and support for parents who are intentionally raising children to become Christian adults. www.ChristianValuesLegacy.com