Influence And Legacy

"In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. It seems that he must have been influenced by Paul's teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here is how it read: 'The Body of B. Franklin, Printer: Like the Cover of an old Book Its contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Guilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be wholy lost: For it will, as he believ'd, Appear once more In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended by the Author.'

"The reason we know so much about the work of God is because the great saints of the Old and New Testaments left a legacy behind. It wasn't just in their written words; the legacy was in the story of their lives. After we are gone, there is a story to be told about how our lives influenced others for eternity. You are writing your epitaph as you live, and leaving a positive legacy is only possible when intentional. What is the story of your life?"

(Turning Point Daily Devotional, 9/25/03)