A Legacy to Pass On

I had a very wonderful woman in my life. One who I had known since I was a baby. When my parents came to Canada from Hungary, they met this young couple who had also moved to Canada from Hungary and they soon became very good friends. When I was born this wonderful lady was asked to be my Godmother. But she became much more. Because my parents were the only ones of their families who came to Canada, my Godmother also became like a very close auntie and Grandmother all rolled into one. She and my Godfather were my extended family.

My Godmother, she was a very special woman. Our families got together often. I remember the adults sitting in the kitchen playing cards and at Christmas time I remember dancing in her teeny, tiny living room. I remember my Godmother always with a smile. The only time I remember her not smiling in my presence was when my Godfather passed away.

I remember her gentle touch, and her kind voice. She was always hospitable and welcomed you into her home whether she knew you were coming or not. The tea kettle was always put on and there was always some scrumptious baking. Even in her senior years she always was the perfect hostess. She was the one who, with great patience, tried to help me with my school sewing projects. Unfortunately, her gifting of being a seamstress just did not want to rub off on me. She still stayed patient. Her words were always underlined with kindness, even when telling me not to do something. She was absolute graciousness, extending the grace of God towards me, even when I was in trouble. My favorite saying of hers was “You live and you learn”. That spoke grace to me like nothing else. In all my years, I have never heard her say anything bad about anybody. Even when very disappointed with someone she always would find something nice to say.

When my children came along, she treated them the same as she had treated me. With love.

In fact, the thing I remember most about my Godmother was how she was an example to me of Jesus here on earth. She was a believer and I knew it. Yet she never “preached” at me. Her testimony was walking out I Corinthians 13 before me. She was patient and kind. She was never rude or boastful. Definitely had others well being ahead of hers. She definitely didn’t anger easily and always forgave me when I had crossed her. She hated evil things. She trusted, she hoped, she persevered.

Today this precious woman and child of God passed away. As I reflect on the legacy of grace that my Godmother left, I thought what a wonderful, beautiful legacy that was. It wasn’t the amount of her money, what career she had, the size of her home or how many toys she had at her house or how popular or famous she was that I will remember. It was the gift of grace that she extended towards all who came across her path, and in particular to that young girl who made some mistakes in her presence, the one who sometimes sassed her, or took her for granted. And I, being that young girl now grown, can only pray that I can take what she offered me and with God’s grace, also pass that grace and mercy on to those the Lord places before me.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.”
Psalms 116:15

Do you have someone who has touched your life by extending God’s love and grace towards you? Is there someone in particular that you can think of that you can touch in the same way? What does leaving a legacy of grace mean to you?