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Our Legacy

     One of the things on my bucket list is to visit as many libraries of our former Presidents before I die. So far Janet and I have visited fourteen. We expect to travel to New York State (5) and to Virginia (8).  Why this fascination with former Presidents?
 
Because, each has left an indelible mark on our country. Each faced many challenges and many made the country better by the legacy they left behind. I am interested in how each coped with the problems they faced and what sort of faith kept them going.

 

     My favorite President is Abraham Lincoln. Born in a log cabin in western Kentucky and his family migrated to Southern Illinois. He lived and practiced law in Springfield, Illinois and was later buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in the same city. While reading the long but complicated journey of his life, I discovered, Lincoln had many positive character traits. One such trait is that of persistence. Consider this for one” hanging in there” through the ups and downs of life:

1831 Failed in Business

1832 Defeated for Legislature

1833 Failed in Business Again

1834 Elected to Legislature

1835 Sweetheart Died

1836 Suffered a Nervous Breakdown

1838 Defeated for Speaker of the House in Illinois

1840 Defeated for Elector

1843 Defeated for Congress

1846 Elected to Congress

1848 Defeated for Congress

1855 Defeated for the Senate

1856 Defeated for Vice President

1858 Defeated for Senate

1860 Elected President of the United States                                                              
On April 14, 1865, he was gunned down by a bullet from the hand of John Wilkes Booth.

 

     Lincoln didn’t die in vain. His legacy of the “Emancipation Proclamation” was one of his crowning achievements. What a man! What an inspiration! By the way, what will your legacy be?

 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Gene Wells