Terri's BlogChristian perspective on today's issues.

Leaving a Legacy

 

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Life brings us two kinds of people; those we don’t forget and those we’ll always remember. Yes, there is a difference. Those we don’t forget may be a blurred image on the periphery of our pasts: that junior high math teacher; that coworker from three jobs ago; that former neighbor whose dogs ran wild.

Then there are the other kind. With sharp-edged clarity, those individuals brand themselves in the psyche: her snort-laugh that made us giggle; his celebration with us when the loss of one job lead to a promotion in the next; her hand that held ours as a loved one lay dying. All shimmer in the forefront of our brains.

My memory will hold fast to Terri Clark. Though she wore many hats – daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, teacher and missionary – the most accurate of these descriptions is one less easy to define and is most rare. Terri Clark was transparent. Anyone who looked into her dark eyes would see the light of Jesus shining from her soul and from her big, giving heart.

Terri traveled the world telling people about her Savior. She didn’t just affirm Him, she took on His character. She made people feel as if their problems, their joys and their sorrows were important to her because they were important to the other person. In today’s world, who does that?

Terri Clark did. She didn’t just read the Word and teach it, she was an example of the good within its pages.

She was real. Along with her husband, Harvey, she rode her Spyder motorcycle to get a dose of “wind therapy”. She loved cooking and spending time with her two-dozen family members, traveling and shopping for and drinking cups of exotic teas. She was a gifted writer with publishing credits of two non-fiction books, a blog, webinars and numerous devotionals.

No stranger to pain, Terri was courageous. Rising above a difficult past, she trusted God through the devastating losses of her son and mother and learned the best ways to help an ailing parent. After her lethal diagnosis, she fought the symptoms of the disease with everything she had. When the vision in one eye blurred so badly she could hardly function, she posted a social media picture of herself and her grandson wearing an eye patch; they were lookalike pirates. She wasn’t just poking fun at herself; she was demonstrating triumph over tragedy.

Terri was a generous giver, not just of her earthly possessions, but of herself. Across the world, she developed deep relationships as she exemplified the two most important commandments; love God and love people. Proving her passion for the human race went far deeper than mere words, she founded Terri Clark Ministries (her child-sponsorship program), a blended family ministry and the Ray of Hope Hospital in Uganda, Africa.  All are geared toward helping those with their most dire needs.

A Google definition says, “People…leave a legacy because they want to feel that their lives mattered.” Terri’s intent might not have been to leave a legacy, but she left one anyway: her ministry, the hospital, her books and articles, and most importantly, those with whom she shared Jesus and whose acceptance of Him reverberate into eternity.

Thank you for the gift of you, Terri.  I treasure our friendship and still miss you – until we meet again.

Elaine Hall