I heard of a man whose father had died. He was reqested, by his mother to do the funeral. His father was not a very significant leader as far as the circles he moved in. He had been the minister of a small local church and had been a rather obscure figure in the city.
Upon arrival in the city the night before the funeral, the son decided to visit at his fathers little down town church to pay his last respects. Upon entering the building the lack of light caught him off guard and his made his way into the little auditorium he found himself stumbling over something and then again and again. As his eyes began to adjust to the dark he noticed that young men were laying in the aisles and between the pews.
These were young men who had come from all over the country to pay their last respects. These were the next generation leaders that his father had mentored and invested in over the years. This seemingly insignificant leader had invested himself in what others had not noticed or paid attention to.
Now my details may be sketchy, but this story I heard about 12 years or so ago, affected me deeply. The cry of my heart after hearing this was that I may influence many in this way.
What an honour to this mans life and work. What an honour to his time and investment. It wasn't about his legacy, his 'great' name, his great ministry. It was all about pouring his life into another generation.
I began to see that the only true legacy I could leave behind was in the lives of others. To deposit the little of my revelation and understanding into someones life was the most significant contribution I could ever make in this life. I was so stirred and inspired. And yet I was broken and feeling incapable of such a task.
Where is your focus?
What is your significance?
What are you leaving behind?
My call has been since then and still is "Where are the Fathers?","Where are the Mothers?"
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