{From the Front Porch // What I Hope They Say}

The other day, my sister tagged me in one of those funny Facebook memes. It said something like, “I wonder if my siblings show people a picture of me and say, ‘This is my mean sister.’” I laughed out loud, because y’all… if you know my sister, you know she’s a literal angel on earth. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. It was all in good fun, and of course, just a sisterly joke.

But it got me thinking.

What do people say about me when they show someone a picture of me?

Or when my name comes up in conversation?

What impression do I leave behind in a room once I’m gone?

Honestly, I’m not sure what the answer to that is. Maybe they say I’m quiet or creative. Maybe they talk about how I love hockey, or Texas, or my family, or how I’m always chasing chickens or sunsets. Maybe they say I take too many pictures. (Guilty.)

But here’s what I hope they say:

"This is Crystal. She loves Jesus.”

Because that’s what I want to be remembered for. That’s the legacy I want to leave. Not for being the nicest or the funniest or the most organized or the most anything… but simply as a woman who loves the Lord with her whole heart. Someone who is always pointing others back to Him, even in everyday moments. 

I’m reminded of Acts 4:13 where it says:

“…they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

That’s what I want. I want people to recognize that I’ve been with Jesus. That my life bears the fingerprints of grace. That the words I speak, the way I live, the love I give...it all reflects Him.

So here’s a little challenge for all of us today:

Let’s live in such a way that people don’t have to wonder what we’re about.

Let’s make it clear.

Let our lives be evidence.

Let our conversations, our photos, our social media posts, even our everyday routines say one thing loud and clear:

“This is someone who loves Jesus.”