It seems appropriate this morning to reflect on the passing of Dolly Parton. I should confess that I’m not a country music fan, but I appreciated the chemistry between Parton and Kenny Rogers. They seemed to have such fun together! I certainly recognize the remarkable talent and distinctive voice that made her famous. But as I reflected on her life, it wasn’t her music that came to mind.
It was books.
In 1995, Dolly Parton began the Imagination Library, inspired in part by her father’s inability to read and write. What began as a way to place books in the hands of children in her native Sevier County, Tennessee, grew into a program that has given away more than 300 million books. And, remarkably, the work is intended to continue.
Think about that.
Somewhere today, a child will receive a book because Dolly Parton had an idea decades ago. That child may not know her songs. He or she may never have heard “Jolene” or “I Will Always Love You.” But that child may discover the joy of reading because a woman they will never meet decided to do something that would outlive her.
That is legacy.
We sometimes think legacy only belongs to famous people – to singers, presidents, athletes, movie stars, and others – whose names are remembered long after they’re gone. But the truth is, all of us have the opportunity to leave something behind. What we have to think about is the kind of legacy we want to leave.
The disciples probably weren’t thinking about legacy as they followed Jesus down dusty roads. Peter likely had no idea that two thousand years later, people around the world would still be reading his words. John probably wasn’t imagining that his testimony about Jesus would continue to lead people to faith centuries after his death.
They were following Jesus. Speaking his truth. Living according to his example. And trusting God for the rest.
And perhaps that is where a lasting legacy begins—not by trying to make a name, but by faithfully living for the name that is above all names. Living for something greater than ourselves.
Paul wrote, “You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Each of us has a part. Each of us can touch a life. Each of us can plant something that, by God’s grace, may continue to grow long after we are gone.
A kind word may be remembered. A child may carry forward something we taught. A life we encouraged may encourage another. A seed we plant may become a tree beneath whose shade we will never sit.
Dolly Parton gave the world music. But perhaps one of her greatest gifts was the simple belief that every child deserves a book and the chance to dream.
And perhaps that should cause us to pause and ask: What will continue because we were here?
We may never be famous. Our names may never appear in history books. But if we faithfully follow Jesus, we don’t know who may be blessed because of us. Just being faithful today is perhaps how a legacy begins. Because we serve a God who can do a lot with our little.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live in such a way that my life points beyond myself and toward you. Give me eyes to see the people I can bless and the good I can do. May the legacy I leave not be about my name, but about your love at work through me. Take my little and, with it, bring others to you. Amen.
