I’ve been wondering this past couple of weeks what my legacy might be at some future time, whether near or far, when I have taken my final breath. This thinking has been brought on by recent deaths of people that I know, as well as my apprehension of the assurance of my own aging and “maturing” in a physical sense. No, I’m not going off the cliff. But I think there comes a time in the lives of many when a little introspection comes into play. And that’s a good thing, I think.
Peter says, in Acts 10 and verse 38 that Jesus “went about doing good.” That’s a kind of generic statement; yet one that is full of meaning. Peter goes on to say specifically that Jesus healed, although he did many more things under the banner of “doing good” than just healing.
We would do well to take to heart Peter’s statement about Jesus and ask ourselves whether the same could be said of us. Can we easily be characterized as someone who goes about and does good? What do people think and say about us now? What might they say following our passing from this life? What kind of people are we? Do we love God? Do we love our neighbor? Do we demonstrate it in any measurable ways?
One man I know goes about and does good, and does so quietly, without fanfare, and with almost too much modesty. He not only works at his day job, but does odd jobs for people in the community, mostly senior citizens, who have nowhere else to turn. He fixes windows, changes light bulbs, carries off trash, and does a host of this type of thing for no pay and no recognition. One day I happened to see a work list he had—install a small window air conditioner, repair a screen, and a couple other things that would be done in the next day or two for someone who otherwise could not afford to have it done and couldn’t do it themselves.
I know others who volunteer at schools and daycare centers, provide meals and transportation, visit shut-ins, help seniors (and others) navigate the maze of medical care, clean up trash along river banks and road sides, tidy up landscaping at a non-profit center, donate clothing and food, mentor children and teens, handle a myriad of tasks that keep a church congregation or non-profit organization on an even keel, make phone calls to folks who need to be checked on daily, and buy lunch for a service man or senior citizen. You can surely add your own to the list.
I have always thought that as long as we draw a breath in this life, there is a purpose for our being here. Whether we have full use of our physical, mental, and emotional selves or not, there is something we can do to make the world a better place; to “go about and do good.” What about you? Do you follow the example of Jesus as told by Peter? What will people say about you some day?

