A Father's Legacy

It was an unforgettable episode in my growing up journey.

I was only 13, and my mother was absent from home because she was due to deliver my youngest sibling. The lunar new year celebration was around the corner. Like all traditional Chinese homes, someone had to get the family ready for the usual festive rituals. Surprisingly, it was my father who decided to assume the role of getting all the food and groceries that were needed!

And I was to make that trip with him to the wet market.

Before long, the two of us were “lost” in a sea of vegetables, fishes, meats, spices, groceries, etc. I could see that my father was unfamiliar with the wet market surrounding. We had to consult the vendors on buying practically every item! The fishes, the poultry, the vegetables, the spices… item by item were bought with great effort. We spent a couple of hours in the stuffy, congested wet market and finally we were on our way home. What a relief for both of us!

It was the first and the last time that I saw my father in action where marketing was concerned. I do not remember him going through the rituals again! Nonetheless, this episode left a lasting impression on my mind. My late father, whom I had perceived to be a capable businessman, but somewhat detached in household chores, could actually get his family ready for the lunar new year festival! And he did it by doing the purchases at the wet market himself!

Years later, I moved on to start my own family. Guess what? I found myself doing marketing for my loved ones from time to time. It has never been a chore for me and I think I owe it to that unforgettable trip with my father to the wet market!

Dear friends, I believe every father in our midst will inevitably leave a legacy behind. Our own children will remember us for what we did for them, and perhaps even remember what we fail to do for them! I also believe that many Christian men will very much aspire to leave behind a godly legacy for their children, one which entails a genuine faith in Christ. Nonetheless, to leave behind a godly legacy has to be intentional. It is the result of men who love Christ working hard at nurturing a Christ-centered relationship with their loved ones!

May I pose this searching question to all fathers:

What kind of a legacy would you like to leave behind, for those you love?

To put it differently, what would you like your children to remember you for?

A father’s Prayer:

God, please help us in nurturing our children & passing on our faith in Christ. Empower us to live for Christ… may our children find us faithful. May the fire of our devotion light up their way! May the footprints we leave behind lead them to believe in You.

May the lives we live inspire them to obey You!

Mr. Gn. Chiang Tat