A dear friend of mine unexpectedly went home to be with the Lord just a few days ago.
She was a wife, a mother of nine children, and someone who loved Jesus deeply. Just a few days before, we had been talking about ordinary things. She was excited to be getting back to the gym after having her youngest baby, who is only four months old. We were planning a girls night to have dinner together.
When I first heard the news, I didn’t believe it.
She was only a year older than me. We had just talked. Surely there had been a mistake.
There wasn’t.
And my heart broke.
But not for her.
Jenn is in heaven with Jesus, experiencing more joy than we could ever imagine. That night, as my 16-year-old daughter and I lay together crying, watching the colorful lights dance across her ceiling from her lamp, we talked about how Jenn was seeing a far greater light show than anything we could see here on earth.
Saying those words out loud opened the floodgates.
When loss comes, it’s easy to focus only on the pain. The pain of missing someone you love. The pain of watching a family learn to live without them. The pain of realizing there will be no more conversations, no more coffee dates, no more messages to replay.
But when someone knows Christ, death is not the end.
Jenn is no longer in pain. She is whole, healed, and home.
The truth is, I’m not grieving for Jenn. I’m grieving for myself. For the moments that will never happen. For the friendship that ended far sooner than I expected.
Yet, as I sat with her family, I saw the legacy she left behind.
I saw it in her beautiful children. In their laughter, their love, and their faith. I saw it in the love between her and her husband. I saw it in the friendships surrounding the family and the people whose lives she touched along the way.
I don’t think Jenn fully realized the impact she had.
Most people don’t.
Legacy doesn’t have to be something grand or world-changing. Often, it’s found in the lives we influence every day. In the people we love, encourage, serve, and point toward Jesus.
We aren’t promised tomorrow.
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog. It’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”
James 4:14
Every day is a gift. Every conversation matters. Every act of love leaves a mark.
Whether we realize it or not, we’re all writing a story with our lives.
I want to leave a legacy of loving fiercely, caring deeply, working hard, and standing firm in my faith.
What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
