He grew up on 300 acres, milking before and after school.
I grew up on a homestead, and milked before & after too.
He loved climbing and hanging from trees.
I too climbed and hung from my knees.
We both grew up in simpler times.
I received a call from my mom this past week reminding me that it was Billy Graham’s 99th birthday. She reminisced about when she and I watched a small black & white screen in my grandparents living room. With a message so simple and direct, Billy Graham spoke words that challenged my 4-year old heart & mind. To this day, I still see the moment vividly but recall the visceral sensation even more.
A 55-year-old stranger challenged a 4-year-old boy with relatively new technology, broadcast television. The course of my life changed at that moment. Most all of my choices were affected by that one. And to this day, I’ve never met the guy, looked into his eyes, or even spoken a word. We’ve never laughed, played ball, or hiked a trail together. As he enters his 100th year on earth, any possible windows of opportunity are closing.
How crazy is this?
Think about it. I have such a profound association, warmth, and appreciation for someone I’ve never met! A relationship was formed. Influence was received. One day, upon hearing of his passing, I’m sure I’ll cry tears of sadness, appreciation, and joy.
How about you? Who will you cry over that you’ve never met… & why? Likely, it’s because of what they left behind and how it has influenced your life’s course.
They have equipped you to face life’s challenges. Their simple message made you better. It’s amazing how a few words of wisdom make all the difference during a challenging time. The sharing of their legacy has helped you shape yours.
Question: How did the son of a 55-year-old dairy farmer influence a 4-Year-Old?
Answer: By using the technology that was available to communicate what mattered most to him.
How you choose and use technology to share your life’s stories will characterize the legacy you leave.
What matters most to you right now?
What concept do you think someone 50 years younger than you should know and apply. 150 years from now, who will gratefully experience perspective because you took time to share?
Do something this weekend. Something that can change the future Write a page, draw a picture, or shoot a short video. You’ll find that once you start, you might not want to stop. (Especially if you choose to trash perfectionism.)
Just make it.
Don’t make it perfect.
Perfect it later.
Just do something.
Do something today.
Your voice, your image, your words.
Your progeny, learning from your experience.
Your lineage persevering because of your perspective.
Wisdom from someone who cares, informing their decisions.
What will you do today to record and express guidance for future generations?
How will people think, feel, and live out the message you leave when you are gone?
“Someday you will hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t believe a word of it! I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.” – Billy Graham.
When I was young my parents went to conferences and we children stayed with grandparents in upstate NY. School was much different then and as a good student I was not given busy work to do while away. My assignment was to visit somewhere I had never been and write a report on it. My grandfather took me to historical sites and thus began a love of the past, antiques the old architecture and family legacy. He also loved the technology of the time, a shortwave radio that allowed him to listen to programming from his native Germany and recording equipment that he used to record services in his church, his choir, my grandmother on her play by number organ indulging her love of hymns and my young parents singing duets together. I did not know of these uses until my parents were in a heavenly kingdom and their possessions were passed on. The one use I did know of was we five little girls singing songs and hearing ourselves on grandpa’s magical machine. What joy to finally hear all those voices from the past. The voice is so powerful in putting us back in the space where we felt an abundance of familial love and to connect us to aspects of our family member’s lives that we never knew.
So I did a simple thing last year. A newer technology is the advent of the recordable story book. Every year at Christmas it was tradition for me to read The Night Before Christmas. I purchased recordable versions of the book and read once again to my children. I know they will not listen to it for years. But I hope one day it brings them comfort and for grandchildren maybe a small window into what I valued in life.