No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.

Ecclesiastes 1:11 (NIV)

David’s Wednesday Word:

I just looked at my phone. I have more than 11,000 pictures in my photo library. Crazy! I literally don’t have time to look at them all, much less organize them.

Yet those pictures hold memories. And so many of those memories make me smile.

My mother passed away about 18 months ago. Before that, she had to leave her home. In that home were the memories of nearly 90 years of life, including countless photographs. Many were of people and places I did not know. My mother knew them, but I didn’t.

It brought sadness to my heart to realize that so many of the memories she treasured could not be preserved. Some stories were passed on to us. Others were known only to her.

Going through that experience challenged me to think differently about my own photos and memories. I have come to realize that most of them are primarily meaningful to me. They may have meaning to my family for a while, but generations come and go.

The words of Ecclesiastes 1:11 reinforce that truth. As time unfolds, even people who were once deeply loved and well known are eventually forgotten.

So, what is my legacy?

I have concluded that my legacy cannot ultimately be found in stuff—not even in photographs that preserve memories important to me. My legacy must be found in something greater.

I started Temporary Ministries around a simple truth: Be faithful in the temporary while remaining focused on the eternal.

Photos are valuable. Memories are precious. But neither lasts forever.

Our relationship with God does.

I understand that someday I too will be part of a former generation. Eventually, my name may be forgotten. But being remembered is not the legacy that matters most.

My desire is to pass on what is eternal—to my family and to others: a life of following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

That is a legacy worth leaving.

Prayer: Father in heaven, as my years continue to add up, remind me that being remembered by others is temporary. Use my life to point others toward You, and help me leave behind an eternal legacy of faithfully following Jesus Christ.

— David Beauchamp
Temporary Ministries

Beginning this week, David’s Wednesday Word is coming through Temporary Ministries. The message isn’t changing—just where it comes from. You can subscribe here: temporaryministries.org.