I reached into my purse pocket and found a toothpick. This is not the first time this has happened. Just after my grandma died seven years ago, I found a toothpick that she had stashed away in the pocket of a pair of pants. It made me tear up then. Now it makes me smile. It brought back memories of her—how she always had a tissue up her sleeve just in case, her graceful and peaceful manner, her hugs and that beautiful face.
We all have people we’ve loved and lost. They live on in our memories, triggered by little things they have left behind—a chair, a piece of jewelry, or a card. Grandma gave my sister the red highlights in her light brown hair. She gave my mom a certain inflection in her voice while I got her likable nature.
But what happens when the toothpicks are gone? When all the little things she’s left behind seem to fade in to the world around us? What will remain? Values, traditions, and lessons she taught. The times she invested in others. The small kindnesses she did throughout her life.
That is part of what Generous Mind is about—enabling people to step outside the everyday survival of life and communicate with others the important ideas God has given them. It’s helping people to make a contribution to the world that will live on in others.
What are you doing in your life that will live on? Who are you investing in today?
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