This week Proverbs 31 Ministries is focusing on women who have left a faith legacy in our lives. As you read about a woman who has inspired me, think about who has left a legacy in your life and whether you are leaving a faith legacy behind by the way you live.
The words we speak and the way we live can alter another person’s life for eternity.
I’ll never forget that night when I was 11 years old. My aunt, uncle, and their four young children had traveled from Indiana to Virginia to visit with us. It was a grand visit. Right before they left, something happened that was grandest of all- forever engraved on my heart.
The night had come to a close. I got into bed and my aunt came into the room. She looked very serious and made no small talk. “We’re leaving tomorrow and there is a verse in the Bible you MUST know. Bury it in your heart and never ever forget it.” She opened my Bible (which was lying next to me) to Luke 9:62. She read it out loud as if it was life and death to her. And with a piercing look into my spirit, she left the room.
I got out of bed and read it for myself. “Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” I knew this would be a defining scripture for my life. I was just too young to understand fully what it meant at the time.
The next morning, they left before I woke. That night in my room was the last time I ever saw my aunt. Her heart stopped beating and her mortal body died soon after they got back to their home.
Countless testimonies were told about Aunt Helen and how she lived her life for Jesus. And the stories are still being recounted even after 40 years! She was a shining light of His radiance and glory. She was the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman. From that day on, I decided I would emulate her and her walk with Christ. I read that scripture she gave me every day till I went to Bible College (the same one she went to). I determined in my heart to be a follower of Jesus at all costs, never looking back.
The verse she gave me had even greater meaning when I read the verses before it. Luke 9:57-62 are all about the cost of discipleship. Jesus is walking with three men here and tells them that to follow Him you must drop everything of the world. When Peter, James, and John decided to follow Jesus- they literally dropped their fishing nets, got out of the boat, and followed Him. They didn’t look back! That’s what He is telling these three guys to do if they are going to follow Him. That’s what He says to us today. To this day I am still convicted by that verse, the cost of discipleship, and the legacy Aunt Helen left to me.
What legacy will I leave behind to my family and friends? What legacy will you leave behind? The words we speak and the way we live can alter another person’s life for eternity.
Proverbs 31 Ministries is doing a Legacy Campaign. Do you have someone in your life that has lived a faith legacy? Proverbs 31 is giving you the perfect way to honor her. Simply click on the Legacy button in my sidebar. It’s that simple!
