I was “bushwhacking” through the wilderness of Colorado when I came upon this carved tree.  Looks like Mr. Monte left his mark on this aspen tree.  No major roads, not even a small trail was close by.  I’m curious how many people have walked here. Possibly ole Chas and me and that’s it.  Possibly could be that lots of folks hiking off the beaten path have walked here.  They just didn’t leave their mark.  I didn’t either.  Carving on a living tree just doesn’t seem proper for me to do.  I’m sure glad Mr. Montes did over 65 years ago.  It made me start thinking about what my legacy might be.  What will people remember about me AND YOU?  Ever thought about it?

Well, think about this.  The legacy you leave is the life that you lead.  That’s a pretty neat saying!  Some leave a legacy for others to remember them by in the form of a building, a big chunk of money, a monument, (a carved tree), etc., etc.  But you and I could leave a great legacy just by the life that you lead.  Just like leading a horse.

Whoa!  (Grab a cup of coffee as I explain). Back to leading the horse……..  Have you ever thought of your own life as being your own horse?  Look at it like this, Both your life and your horse are controlled by you.  You lead your horse to water, down the path, over the river and through the woods…….. You get the idea.  Well, you lead your own life too don’t you?  You have control over your own life.  What you do, where you go, when you go.  You yourself get to choose what you will do and be with your own life.

Sure there are times when we feel we’ve lost control.  When the horse spooks, or the horse doesn’t obey a certain command.  The same thing happens with our lives.  We sometimes get spooked.  Maybe I don’t even  obey a command given by none other than me.  You know, like when you do something even when you know you shouldn’t or you didn’t do something that deep down you knew you should.  See what I mean by leading your own life?  Your horse can bolt on his own, but most nearly all the time he goes where you lead him.  So does the life that you lead.

The life that you lead (you), is the life that you live.  Our lives follow where we lead them.  We lead/live our lives with our heart and soul.  That’s the best  I can explain it.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.  They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.  Psalm 112: 6,7

Your legacy, the life that you lead, can be handed down to others.  This is not to say that you go around bragging, tootin’ your own horn.  But you live in a way that others will take notice.  They SEE your trust in the Lord.  They feel your heart.  Looks like you’ve saddled up your own life and now you are leading and living your own life.  While you lead your own life, it’s good to be able to follow God’s lead and direction.

Lead as you are being led.

See Ya!    Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher