Legacy

I have been putting off writing a blog post for a while now. Deciding what to write about has not always come easily to me. The thought of others reading what I’m writing becomes another stumbling block. Despite these lingering feelings, this last week brought a lot of different thoughts and ideas for me to consider.

As I type this, it has been one week since my paternal grandfather crossed from earth into the glory of Heaven. It’s been a rough week – a week of highs and lows both emotionally and physically. Random tears and exhaustion lead me to take naps every day this last week (I’ll be honest, I could get used to napping that often though).

I kept going back and forth on what I wanted to write. Do I want to talk about my journey of grief and what that process looked like? Is that too vulnerable to do? Do I really want my friends (and strangers alike) to know what this personal and private experience has been like for me?

As I have typed and deleted and retyped this, I’ve seemed to stumble upon a sense of healing. Because throughout it all, I was reminded of the legacy which my gb (Grandaddy Bob) left here on this Earth… and even more so left in me.

Since you are here and reading this, I want to welcome you into my family and virtually introduce you to who my gb was. gb was born in 1922, yup, you read that right. He was just a few months away from his 100th birthday. Growing up gb always said he was going to live to be a teenager again. We all believed him. He was a healthy man, always working out and eating properly. Although, when the grandkids were in town, we could convince him to have cake for breakfast. However, over the last few years, his tune had changed a bit. He realized that growing old wasn’t all that fun as he lost his sight and began to lose his hearing. He was ready to go and be united with his Savior.

He married the love of his life in 1949. He and my Grandmommie went on so many different adventures. They traveled the world and were two of the people who shaped me in mighty ways. They were missionaries in Buenos Aries, Argentina, for five years and raised my dad and aunt there during that time. I would sit on the edge of my seat as gb and Grandmommie shared story after story of adventure and friendship with the Lord and even in the last few months I would be told stories I had never heard before. For example, just this last week my Grandmommie told me my dad played water polo when they lived in Argentina (Dad, I do need to hear these stories…).

But as I have mourned over the last week, I kept thinking about the legacies that gb has left through me, my brothers, my cousins, my aunt, my Grandmommie, and my dad. Of the many things that gb has instilled in me there is one that comes to the forefront of my mind and that was the love he showed to everyone.

I know unconditional love is something which, on this side of heaven, is almost impossible to experience. Whether it is spoken or not, we can often have conditions when it comes to how we love those around us. Conditions may be how we treat people, our experiences with them, or even our own presupposition. gb challenged this idea by showing the unconditional love of Jesus Christ to everyone around him in every circumstance. I think back to all the stories of my grandfather and how he did just that. I could always see it in his actions of how he loved those around him. When my grandparents lived in Waco, there was a graduate student at Baylor University whom they took in and loved as their own. Even to this day he has a relationship with our family.

He also loved his grandchildren unconditionally. Every time I went to visit my grandparents, my gb always made sure we were well taken care of and never stopped showing his love for us. The last interaction I had with him was around the table just a few months ago at a family dinner. Once he knew I was there it was like nobody else was in the room. We chatted the whole time we were together, reminiscing about the days when I was younger and looking forward to the days ahead. gb was a man who supported, encouraged, and cared for those he encountered. I am grateful for the legacy of love he left behind in me.

Another way I saw his love for people was not just through how he treated me and my family, but how he pastored those around him. My grandad was someone who showed his love through his pastorate. He preached in churches across the country and in Argentina. He was always loving those who were “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). My grandad was a champion of people, every person. He supported women and believed they deserved to be treated equally. He stood up for people of color and never saw himself as more important than them. He did not discriminate against anyone, instead, he showed love through everything. Whether he agreed with the people around him or not, love was always his first response. It was an example that he set in his pastorate that I want to take into my career as well. I think sometimes we, as the church, do not do a good job of demonstrating this love. Sometimes we focus on ourselves, on what our needs are, or on what would be best for us. But that was not my gb. He was accepting and encouraging to everyone around him – looking out for those who might feel like they were unwelcomed. He challenged and encouraged me to do the same.

So, the questions that came to mind over the last week were: what is my legacy? How will I be remembered? How will my wife, kids, grandkids, peers, and students remember me? Am I leaving a legacy that is pointing people to know Jesus more or am I inflating myself? Am I living a life that would be glorifying to our Creator or am I living a life that is focused on the temporary? My prayer is that my legacy will be one that points people to Jesus and His love. An example my gb always strived towards. This week, my prayer is that you would consider what your legacy will be, as well.

Alec Lloyd
Young Adult Minister / Operations Associate