Why We Must Consider the Legacy We’re Leaving… (With help from the Green girls of Hobby Lobby)
Friends! Just wait ‘til you hear about this life-changing, must-read book…
It’s written by Jackie Green and her daughter, Lauren Green McAfee. (Jackie’s husband, Steve, runs Hobby Lobby and their stories woven throughout are incredibly fascinating.) The book is called Only One Life: How a Woman’s Every Day Shapes an Eternal Legacy.
I heard the authors interviewed on the Eric Metaxas show recently (www.metaxastalk.com ) and promptly ordered the book. What intrigued me is the book’s format. Each chapter focuses on an attribute of what makes a good legacy:
What’s super cool is how the girls introduce you to a Biblical character, a historical character, and a modern-day character for you to meet and see how their lives exemplify these attributes in each chapter. Some I was familiar with, while others were lovely discoveries.
For example, Winston Churchill’s nanny, Elizabeth Anne Everest, was a very strong Christian and had a huge influence on him, teaching him to memorize Scripture, giving him a personal faith.
Let this soak in for a minute:
“It can be argued that because of her, the Nazis did not come to rule Europe, and because of the way she carried out her duties, the Soviets would not realize their aspirations to extend their brand of Communism to the world.”
The Green girls said Churchill “would attest that the prayers and spiritual principles he had absorbed from Elizabeth Everest were the anchor of His soul.”
Another new-to-me historical figure is Elizabeth of Hungary who’s in the chapter on the legacy of generosity. Elizabeth’s mother is who gave her such a strong faith. She was born in 1207. Her father was King Andrew II of Hungary.
She was highly influenced by Francis of Assisi who said,
Elizabeth married at age 14, having been betrothed to Prince Ludwig of Thuringia at the ripe age of 4! Amazingly, she “helped establish a monastery in Thuringia. She also used her dowry to found eastern Europe’s first orphanage.” Her story is full of intrigue you won’t want to miss.
You also don’t want to miss Jackie Green’s relation to Queen Elizabeth II! This is in the chapter on the legacy of wisdom, Queen Elizabeth being our modern-day character. Other modern-day women we meet include fireball Christine Caine on the legacy of rescue, wise teacher Kay Arthur, and on loyalty, the one and only Ruth Bell Graham. (These are just 4 of the 12!)
We also learn that Marie Green “imparted her faith and values to David Green” (Jackie’s father-in-law) who then left his faith to his children, one being Steve, Jackie’s husband. She adds, “There is nothing more important than to point a child toward their Heavenly Father and the redemption available through Christ.
You’ll learn how Hobby Lobby came to be as well as their thoughts on generosity, how they run the company, and even the details about the Supreme Court’s ruling over their health insurance, regarding their pro-life beliefs. Your jaw will drop more than once over the details the Lord helped them overcome in an excruciatingly long trial, especially with such intense scrutiny from the media.
Also in the chapter on generosity Jackie discusses “the legacy-building power of a lifestyle of generosity.” We glean pearls from their family discussions. She shares,
“A committee reviews and makes decisions on giving corporately,
…viewing each request through a specific lens:
Will it advance God’s Word?
Will it save a person’s soul?”
We readers also get to learn about the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., that the Greens started. It’s a wild journey you won’t want to miss. The Museum is at the top of my Bucket List. (www.museumofthebible.org )
Further details on the museum can be found in another book the Greens wrote called, This Dangerous Book: How the Bible Has Shaped Our World and Why It Still Matters Today.
Of all the Biblical characters we meet and learn about in Only One Life, my three favorites are: Huldah the prophetess, Hannah, and Ruth (but then how could we leave out Mary the Mother of Jesus, and Esther, and the seven others??!!!). The chapter on teaching stands out to me perhaps because I love to teach.
Huldah is introduced to us in 2 Kings, chapter 22, Mary Lyon, who started Mount Holyoke College is the historical heroine, choosing Psalm 144:12 to be the college’s motto: “That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.” (KJV), and Kay Arthur is our modern-day teaching example, having started Precepts Ministries International with what the Greens call an “unlikely start.”
The legacies left from Huldah, Mary, and Kay are astonishing. Don’t miss the details included. Seeing their impact on countless souls makes you think in each case, “Wow, that is just from one woman!” Exactly the point of the book.
Run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore and grab Only One Life. You’ll find yourself sharing story after story with your friends and family, and the best part is they’re all true!
‘Til next time!