Cyberspace Graffiti...

There is graffiti in a stall in the school in which I work that reads something like this: "hello person in the last stall.  You would choose the last stall.  I like it here too. <3"

What is the purpose behind writing with a Sharpie on the outdated, speckled tile of a bathroom wall?  Or etching your nickname into a desk?  Or musing on the graffiti-littered bunk beds at camp?  Legacy.  We want to leave a legacy-- make our mark, leave something behind.  Some kind of physical emblem that evidences our brief existence.  Isn't that why it's done?  So we can point to it in the future, smile, and say, "that was me.  I was here.  I made my mark."  And as I thought about this odd social practice that evidences such insecurity, I asked myself one uncomfortable question: is this what blogging is for me?  My way to make an indelible mark in cyberspace?  A kind of world-wide graffiti?  Is blogging a way to leave a legacy-- evidence that I existed and my life meant something?

I suppose to an extent that's true, and for many people with blogs it must be true.  But as I explored this topic, I found that this is the real reason I blog:

Though I'd never begin to actually compare myself to David or my writing to the Psalms, my goal in writing is to do what the Psalmist did-- lament or joy about the things of life-- true emotion, real though, veritable feelings... but then pull things back to God, where the focus should be, reminding myself of the truth that trumps emotion.  This is often for myself-- a chance for me to air my thoughts, type it out, and get my head on straight.  But like the Psalmist, I'd really like to encourage my readers.  I would hope that by God's grace, readers would relate to what I've written, know they're not alone, and be encouraged to then live and react in an appropriate way.  I hope others will learn and benefit from the milestones I've reached in my own life.

So I suppose in a way, I would like my blogging to be a kind of legacy.  When I'm gone, if what I've written will point others to Christ, that's the kind of legacy I would like to leave.  I've been putting a lot of thought towards the topic of legacies, as that will be much of what we talk about at summer camp this year.  What do I want to leave behind?  For me, I want to leave behind a group of girls who love the Lord and will in turn teach others about Christ.  I want to leave behind writing that points to the Savior and the Truth.  I want to leave behind the memory of an example of Christlikeness.  And now, in the day-to-day, moment-by-moment, I strive to live my life in such a way that I will indeed leave these legacies, for God's glory.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind?  Hopefully it's more than graffiti on a bathroom wall. :)