Legacy of Faith
Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. ~ PSALM 119:111 (TNIV)
As a young girl growing up in Kentucky, I traveled with my family most summers to a Holiness camp 12 hours away in Georgia. The camp lasted for 10 days during the second week of July so it was always hot and sticky with no air conditioning to be found. While this may not sound like an ideal family vacation to you, I’m glad that my parents thought it was. You see, it was there in a sweltering tabernacle at a dusty altar that my 11-year- old heart accepted Jesus as my Savior.
Now, I grew up in a Christian home, and we attended our small Methodist church whenever the doors were open. But there was just something special about getting away from the distractions of home, friends, and the ordinary that allowed the Holy Spirit the freedom to speak to my heart. By example, my parents showed us that Christians (no matter how long you’ve been a believer) need to spend time learning more about God and being in fellowship with other Christians. Those 10 days became a priority for our family, and the place became holy ground. It was there I was exposed to godly teaching, to missionaries from around the world, and to Asbury University (where I later went to college and met my husband). The friend- ships and memories made have been life lasting.
Even now when I smell pine trees on a hot summer day or drink a glass of sweet tea, I’m transported to that holy place. I’m thankful for the legacy of faith, and I rejoice in the godly heritage I’ve been given.
Do you have special memories of a time or place when God met you in a significant way? Are you passing on a legacy of faith to your children (or a friend’s children) or grandchildren so they have the opportunity to grow in Christ? If not, today is a good day to begin. Why wait?
Father, thank you for those in our lives who by example have shown us how we can come to know you better. Help us pass on this legacy of faith so others may share in this rich inheritance.
DORENA SMITH, TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH