A Lesson From Our Pilgrims

​Share a moment of the past with me today and take a trip back in time, back to the time of our Pilgrims. Try to imagine leaving everything you love to travel to an unknown world. Imagine the worry of possibly losing your husband or your child on the way. Imagine never seeing home or family again. Imagine a passion for God that burns in your heart so deeply that you would be willing to do all of this for Him and the monumental trust you would have to put in God alone and His goodness. 
I'm kind of a history nut. I absolutely love it, and my passion is everything Pilgrim. God gave me a special heart for this time in our history. It just speaks to me. This past week God blessed me with the opportunity to visit the homes of some beautiful people in Massachusetts and to also visit Plimoth Plantation. It is drenched in the history of our beginnings and when you walk through the gates of Plimoth you are transported back to the time of our Pilgrims. I wanted to soak up every word each pilgrim spoke and I wanted to touch every piece of furniture. To actually touch a piece of furniture at Pilgrim hall that our Pilgrims owned and to see the pieces that they left behind is absolutely amazing to me but as much as I love the furniture of that period, their furniture wasn't their legacy. Their things weren't important to them. God was. God alone. He was everything to them. They left us a heritage. They showed us thanksgiving to God despite every trial they endured. They showed us a love for His Word that was incomprehensible. They showed us what knowing God personally was all about. 
Now take another trip with me to the future. This time look into the eyes of your children or maybe even your grandchildren and look into their future, not your own. When you look up from your computer, your cell phone or laptop, look at everything around you. What do your children see? What will your grandchildren see? What legacy and heritage are you leaving behind for them? What will they remember was most important to you? What will they remember about you? Many of our "things" won't stand the test of time but God's Word will always, always stand the test of time. Your passion for God and His Word can change the future of your children and grandchildren.
I am absolutely sure our Pilgrims had no idea that 400 years later Charisse Goforth's life and perspective would be forever changed by them. I have learned so much from them. Continued thankfulness despite continued heart ache. Perseverance. Faith. Trust in God. A tremendous love for His Word and most important a love for God that cannot be compared. That's what I want my children and grandchildren to remember about me. That's the legacy I want to leave behind. Everything else is only wood, hay and stubble. I cannot take it with me but I will strive to be a Pilgrim on this journey for a better tomorrow. A hope. A faith. A burning love for God that can change lives for generations to come.