Reflective Legacy
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“But you have followed what I teach, the way I live, my goal, faith, patience, and love. You know I never give up.” 2 Timothy 3:10
Recently my cousin reminded me of my Grandma’s creed she wrote many years ago expressing what she believed. It is based on the Apostles’ Creed. I have kept this creed in my Bible since she died. I typed the creed and gave a copy of it to my siblings along with her picture. It is a reminder of the foundation of our faith through my Grandma. She lived her faith in her words and actions. She was the one who encouraged me to follow God’s calling on my life. She heard the call before I did. The Creed is a wonderful legacy that my Grandma leaves for future generations.
This is my Grandma’s Creed -
I believe God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. I believe God created the heavens and the earth.
I believe God created man and woman and gave them the freedom to choose good and evil.
I believe God has made Himself known as God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
I believe He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ into the world so that the world might be reconciled to Him.
I believe Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin Mary.
I believe He went willingly to suffer and die on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. I believe on the third day He arose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God.
I believe the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity.
I believe the Holy Spirit was sent to convict us of our sins, to comfort us in times of sorrow, and to guide us daily.
I believe if we are Holy Spirit filled, we are filled with joy, love, peace and goodness.
I believe we are saved through our Faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer from our sins. As a Christian I must live as Jesus taught His disciples to live:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, and with all thy soul and all thy mind and though shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
I am grateful for my Grandma’s faith and for the faith of my Mom. They are my foundation and guided me to give my life to Jesus and live for Him. I have followed their example. They reflected Jesus in their lives. My Mom and my Grandma were in-laws, but they were connected through their faith and also through sorrow. They both lost their own mothers at the age of five.
As I reflect upon their legacy, I am reminded that faith includes struggles, hardships, sorrow, and joys. It is in the struggles of life that we see the strength of our faith. It is not our strength, but our reliance and trust in God’s strength through us. As children, we always think our parents and grandparents will always be with us. We do not know life without them. Then life changes and the ones we have counted on in life, go to Heaven. We feel lost without them, but as I have realized, their love and legacy are never gone. It remains in our hearts forever. Their examples and how they have reflected Jesus lives on in all those lives they have touched. It is always wonderful to still hear stories about my Mom, and how others saw her and how she shared the love of Jesus with others.
So, who has reflected Jesus to you? How do you reflect Jesus to others? As I prepare for the celebration of life of my friend, Jan, I have been reflective on how she lived her life for Jesus and shared Jesus through her smile, her singing, her teaching, her prayers, and her spirit and outlook on life. Jan reflected Jesus and shared Jesus in almost every encounter in her life. Her purpose in life was to influence others for Jesus. I believe that is our purpose on earth – to glorify God in all we do and share the love and grace of Jesus. We are to share Jesus in our words and actions and lead them to Jesus who does the saving and changing.
We are called to help walk each other home to Heaven to live forever with Jesus.
“We’re all just walkin’ each other home. We’re all just tryin’ to find out where we belong. So be a light in the dark on your way home.”
Reminders
· My books are available on Amazon – Living In The Different, Live Different Moments, and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper
· I will be leading a Seminar – “Living Life Forward” - in Upper Sandusky at Trinity Evangelical Church on Saturday, March 21st from 9 AM to 12 PM. You can message me to register.
