who needs a bigger boat?

I was recently looking through some old pictures and came across this one. My wife and I went on a cruise through Alaska with my in-laws and this was one of the pictures I took. I took this picture from the back of the boat to show how far you could see the wake of the boat. It was incredible... all you could see is open water, quiet and calm as it always is... and one long scar as far as the eyes could see where our boat cut through the water and agitated the surface. I took this picture because it reminded me of a quote I once read. I can't quite remember who it was accredited to... i'm sure it was either Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill, considering they are probably the most quoted people in all of history... and rightfully so. Those two had brilliant words of wisdom and insight. But the quote went something like this:

"The measure of a man has nothing to do with the size of his boat, but instead the wake it leaves behind."

I absolutely love that quote. And honestly it can be interpreted in many ways, but let me try to articulate what it means to me. To me, this quote speaks volumes about the legacy we choose to leave behind. We all want to leave a legacy that inspires people to integrity and life the way it was meant to be. If you're anything like me... I want my life to effect people in such a way that they would have no choice but to believe that there was potential in this world and something must be done to free it.

This is what I mean.... God created this world, and it was good. It was the way it was intended to be. And we screwed the whole thing up by living outside of God's design for us. We wanted control and thought we knew better than God. But so many people stop there. So many would be perfectly happy stopping with the world being suffocated by layers of greed, suffering and selfishness. So many are content in believing that is all there is... a messed up and hopeless world. That's just the way things are and there's no hope of changing it. The world lacks hope. I mean,... sure we get a little glimpse of hope here and there when we watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. But even that only lasts until the next commercial break.

Here's what I want my legacy to be...hope. When I leave this world and people look back at my "wake" I want lives to be changed by hope. I want hope to give the eyes people need in order to see what this world could be. I want everyone around me to become doers. I want people to have a vision of a better world and do something to make it happen. I want people to be so attuned to the needs of their surroundings that they do whatever it takes to meet those needs. I want to see an invasion of Heaven here. I know it's possible. It's not easy... but it's possible

What do you want your legacy to be? What waves are you making on this world? Or have you already bought into the lie that you need a bigger boat?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. -Proverbs 3:5-6