Assembly of God

By Sheryl Franco

Co-Pastor

We are in the process of moving, and with that comes one of the least desirable jobs for people like us, who have taken more than a few revolutions around the sun: Weeding out, sizing down and getting rid of decades of stuff we have collected and carried with us from residence to residence. It’s time-consuming and sometimes heart-wrenching. We hold that thing in our hands, and the memories of where we acquired it, who gave it to us, or which one of our children made it flood into our minds. We are lost for moments in reverie, and when we “come to” with the memory fresh on our heart, the decision to keep, donate or sell is made even more difficult.

For several years, I have tried to apply what I call the “Elsa principle” to my life. Remember the Disney animated blockbuster “Frozen” and the Oscar-winning song, “Let It Go”? At a pivotal moment in the film, Elsa stands at the pinnacle of her icy domain, whips her cape dramatically, spreads her arms and belts out, “Let it go!” Those three words are powerful. They can be life changing. In a practical sense, that challenge helps us pare down our possessions to the things that work for us in our present situation. No more “I might need this someday,” and then stumbling over it or constantly moving it out of the way in the storage unit. In a spiritual and emotional sense, that mandate allows us to let go of emotional baggage that weighs us down, old hurts, grudges and unforgiveness. It allows us let go of self-blame and realize complete, personal, God-given forgiveness. We can let go of the weight of guilt and sadness that we have collected and carried with us from season to season.

What legacy do you want to leave behind? Regarding our present move, our adult children have already told us, “We’re done taking stuff.” The thing that I put so much value on–which, by the way, has collected dust in a box in the garage for years–is not valuable to them at all. What is valu able to them? The memories we we make, the moral standards and principles we have taught them, and, most important, the spiritual heritage and personal relationship with God that we live out as an example and pass along to them. These are the things they will carry in them, not with them. These are the things that will equip them for a future filled with unforeseen challenges and questions.

Our second week in the Look at Legacy series will focus on the legacy of transformation. Our legacy isn’t merely biological offspring or wealth. Our legacyis carried by those whose lives we have touched for eternity and how they impact the world. We invite you to be with Assembly of God in the Amphitheater at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning to look at the legacy of transformation.