It's On You

     One of my favorite channels on the radio during my morning and evening commute is WETS 89.5 out of Johnson City, Tennessee. This NPR channel provides a variety of news stories and special interest segments, one of which is Story Corps. Story Corps is an effort to archive interviews between two family members just sharing some aspect of their family's life with future generations. On WETS Story Corps is aired around 6:30 Eastern Standard time if you ever want to check it out. A few weeks ago one of the thoughts shared between a mother and her son really caught my attention. The interview session was about the son's grandfather that had passed away a few years ago, and the impact he had made on his life. The boy's mother prompted him with questions and provided him with insights about her father that the young man may or may not have known as a child growing up around this man he so revered. Towards the end of the interview her son made a statement about how much he missed his grandfather, and the mother's response is what really grabbed me and inspired today's Flat Tire Ministry Thought.  The young man's mother told him that "just because your grandfather is gone that doesn't mean you are off the hook in how you live your life." She explained that the things her father had taught the grandson and the life that he had lived in front of the grandson were all lessons about how to live his life and now it was his job to teach them to his children. In other words, the grandfather's legacy was not only intended to help the grandson, but was intended more for his great grandson that most likely he would never meet. That puts things in a completely different perspective if you really sit back and think about it.
     In the New International Version Bible Proverbs 17:6 puts it like this "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." Our grandchildren are like a crown made of gold with diamonds and other precious stones embedded within and around the entire royal headpiece. The lessons we teach, and more importantly the life example we live, will be like a road map for our children as they grow and mature and eventually have a family of their own. What do we hope for them as parents? How do we want them to raise our grandchildren? The second part of the scripture in Proverbs 17:6 says "parents are the pride of their children", we know our children are always looking up to us, but do we remember that they are not just looking at us, but they are watching us and storing up memories of how to handle situations and how to react when the "going gets tough". Are we honest in front of our children in our dealings with others or are we guilty of telling little white lies or fudging on certain things that we honestly wouldn't want our children to teach our grandchildren in the future? Do we argue and fuss over matters that we hope our children will handle in a different manner when they have children of their own?  How about our habits and our lifestyles? Are we involved in the type of activities we hope our children will get their families involved and behaviors we hope they will model to their children? The basic thought today is if our children's children is our legacy, what type of legacy will we leave through the life of our children?
     For our family's future our choices obviously matter, but what about taking this concept and expanding it to our circle of influence? Dependent on where you are in your life you may not have children, but does that let you off the hook? I would stand on the side of "not a chance". In your job, at your school, wherever you spend your days you are interacting with people and they are watching you and learning from you. What legacy are you creating for their future generations? Regardless of what you think, what you do in your life and how you live your life will have a direct impact on the future of this world we live.
     If the pressure of that responsibility is too much for you to comprehend on your own, join the crowd because it is an awesome responsibility. Why do think our children's children are compared to a crown? Accomplishing a positive model for our children to raise their children by is comparable to the responsibility of a king, ruler, or even a president and the guidance and direction they lead the people they are charged with governing. The life they live and the choices they make will impact the lives of countless millions in the future. The impact of their legacy will be monumental. As you live each day going forward keep in mind that your life and the way you live it will have a direct impact on the lives of those you may never see. Then ask yourself these questions, "How do I want their lives to be?", "What legacy do I want my grandchildren to leave their grandchildren?" You are never off the hook and you never will regardless of the route you take it will leave a legacy. Make it a good one, you have the ability to make that choice. What an awesome opportunity to make a difference in the world you live! Go for it and live life intentionally every minute of every day!
Coach Carter