Legacy - What will you leave behind?

I sat with her for two hours yesterday. She was visiting the University of Dubuque. Together, she and I visited with the President of the University and the Director of the Character Initiative Center that bears her last name. She and her late husband, Dick, who passed away on August 14, 2010 had made a gift to the University to establish a Character Initiative program that would help students and faculty alike in the matter of "Character." There are a number of students who apply each year to be a "Character" scholar. Once accepted, financial aid is offered, extra classes are attended each week with guest lecturers, being mentored by a respected member of the community is required and service to the community is mandatory. The lives of these students are being impacted in a huge way.

A lot of Universities have "Ethics" centers. Few, if any have "Character" centers.

The thinking goes like this...
"Character" is what is built and formed between kindergarten and twelfth grade. (Implication: No need for that in college)
"Ethics" is the art of how to make sound decisions based on the character that has been formed in you during your first twelve school grade years. (Implication: Character building is done by the time you turn 18)

As we listened to the President and the Director of the Character center, we both heard stories of how student's lives have radically changed through the "Wendt Character Initiative" and the gratitude that these students have displayed was more than heart warming and touching.

This is one of the legacies that my dear friends Dick and Nancy Wendt are leaving behind... lives of "Character" that have been changed for the better... forever...

My iWitness...

All of us have been given the ability, the skills, the gifts, the power and the privilege of leaving something behind.

Something that will carry on...
     Something that will outlive us...
          Something that will have our name attached to it...
               Something that people will remember and cherish....
                    Something that will impact the lives of those that follow us...

What will you leave behind?

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5. 22)