What’s your legacy?
John 6:22 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Lord keep me focused on the things that matter.
I was interviewing for a State Director position and was one of four finalist. The last interview was with the Governor at that time, one-on-one, no one else was present. I was very qualified for the position and had actively sought it as a logical step in that particular career. I also enjoy policy work.
The questions were in my wheelhouse and I felt confident in my answers. Then a curveball. “What’s your legacy?” In my youthful confidence I answered, “I don’t need one. My four sons are my legacy.” The interview proceeded and then concluded. As I departed I thought I did well.
So why the question now? My father recently passed. What was his legacy? When I read an obituary it’s just a snapshot of a life. What do you say? How do you put a lifetime into a few words. For my father the answer really is simple. He was a man of faith, he lived his life for others as a husband and a father. He was a great neighbor. Just ask those who knew him and lived near him. That’s his legacy. Not fame, wealth or material possessions.
He wasn't a man that you will read about as some great person that everyone will comment on, except... When I was about 10 someone knocked on the door of our home and asked for Mr. Elmshaeuser. Turns out it was a former student that just wanted to thank him for everything he had done for them. My father was a Lutheran School Principal. He made an impression.
Don’t get me wrong, he was far from Mr. Perfect. He was a sinful human being just like you and me, but he understood and expressed the forgiveness that we receive through Christ.
I have watched people so busy chasing the dream they have forgotten how to live the dream. They have amassed wealth that is meaningless. And yet sometimes I now have the opportunity to assist billionaires to put their wealth to good use. If you are saying, “I want some of that” you are missing the point. It’s not what you get, but what you give.
I didn’t get the job. Actually, I applied for the position again after the State Director retired. This time I made it to the final two. This was under a different Governor’s administration and I interviewed with two members of the oversight board. I didn’t get the job again. The person who was selected was a friend of mine and his qualifications far exceeded mine. He eventually retired from the position and I had moved on to another career. Funny how things work out.
I have never forgotten that question from that interview. It changed me. I have reflected on it often. As I look back, many times losing has been winning for me, but it’s not about me and those are stories for another time. It’s about what I can do for others. That’s the legacy I’m working to emulate from my fathers example. I hope to leave that same visible example for my sons and those I am privilege to encounter. What’s your legacy?