How To Save Your Memories and Create a Legacy

As we drove away from the house which had been our home for fifteen years, my heart whispered a prayer for the new owners:

May their time in this house be blessed with sweet stories and rich memories. 

Since we’ve been married, my husband and I have lived in five different homes. While I don’t consider myself sentimental, certain parts of this house (where we lived the longest) pulled at my heartstrings: 

• Our children’s handprints cemented in the deck surrounding the pool
• The words Joie de Vivre stenciled above our kitchen table
• Evergreen trees planted in loving memory of faithful fur babies

Permanent reminders of the lives we lived within its walls. My eyes welled with tears as I realized I would no longer see these tangible memory markers.

Thankfully, I know God understands my need for physical reminders. 

As Joshua led the Israelites to the promised land, they came to the banks of the Jordan River during the harvest season. Because the Jordan River flooded at this time of year, crossing the river would have been impossible. 

But God had a plan. When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stepped into the river, He caused the waters from above to remain in a heap, allowing the Israelites to cross over to the other side. (Joshua 3:9-17)

When the whole nation had safely crossed over, God commanded the people to take twelve stones (one for each Israelite tribe) and create a memorial of the event:

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:4-7 NIV)

God understood the Israelites’ need for a physical reminder of the miracle. But more than a reminder, the memorial created a legacy for the generations to come. They helped tell the story of the faithfulness of God for the people who walked in obedience to Him. 

Like the Israelites, I want tangible reminders of my story. Unfortunately, some things I can’t take to my new home. But my memories will always be with me. And thankfully, in today’s world, there are many different ways to create memory stones of the lives we live. One day these can serve as a legacy for our children. 

Photo Albums: Traditional or digital, photo albums capture moments of our lives. Together they tell a story. Boxes of photos from years gone by wait for me in my new home. Sorting, organizing, and captioning them will be a fun project.

Scrapbooking: Some of my most treasured possessions are scrapbooks gifted to me by friends and family members of our shared moments together. Their creative touch speaks to me just as much as the books themselves. 

Trinkets: Coffee cups, journals, watches, photo frames and more… all gifts from friends I’ve known. Using each item invokes memories of the one who gave it to me. Sharing these memories with others adds context and texture to my life’s story.

Social Media Posts: I love it when Facebook sends me a reminder of something I posted in a prior year. It’s fun to revisit a moment and then share that memory with others.

Storytelling: Words create pictures in our minds. Those with the gift of storytelling can use journals or blogs to record and share life’s moments. Today’s technical world makes it easy to self-publish a memoir for family and friends. 

As I continue to follow the One who is writing my story, I pray to find innovative ways to capture memories and leave a legacy.  Wherever you are in your journey, I pray you can do the same.