An Inheritance Anyone Would Love

He received an inheritance anyone would love.

As he shared the details at his father's funeral, I marveled at the great gift he possessed. Unlike most inheritances, Paul began receiving the benefits long before his father died, but we were only now hearing about it.

Paul was a missionary and traveled all over the world with a large organization. Every time he'd return home to visit his father, his father would bestow a bit of the legacy upon him, to carry with him as he went. "I want to be sure your needs are met,"  his father would say.

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And he would bow his head, place his hand on Paul's shoulder, and pray for him. He would commit him to God, asking God to empower and equip, protect and provide for, and use him to advance the Kingdom.

Every time Paul left, his father would pray for him.

As his father aged, Alzheimers disease began to rob him of names, faces, and memories.  One crisp day in September, Paul stopped in briefly to see his dad between international trips. As he watched his father grope in the darkness and confusion that is Alzheimers, Paul realized that his memory slate had been wiped clean. Even Paul's name--the name of his own son--had been taken from him. At the close of their time together, Paul embraced his father and said goodbye.

At the doorway, a divine hand paused his steps, and he turned back. His father sat where he had left him, stooped and frail in his chair. His eyes were closed. Thinking him asleep, Paul turned to go, until a movement stopped him. As he watched, his father, who couldn't even recall the day of the week or the names of his children, bowed his head, clasped his gnarled hands together, and began to pray. And Paul knew, as he had for over half a century, that his father was praying for him.

Later that evening, his father died.

Paul now carries the priceless legacy that his father faithfully prayed for him until the day he died. And those prayers reach farther than the grave as Paul continues to reap the benefits.

This true story prompts me to ask myself, what legacy will I leave my children? What legacy will you leave yours? When they think about the last time they saw us, what will their memories be? 


If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy: "Why funerals aren't all bad."



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