The Legacy

In the mid-1800's, Lucy Lantrip left her Baptist roots and became a member of the new emerging church--The Church of Christ formed by a declaration that unity of all Christians is possible and the source of unity is to follow the Bible and only the Bible in life and religion.

Lucy later converted her daughter Mary and son-in-law Will Herndon and thus began a movement in my family which still continues in my life in 2008. Although the church is no longer "emerging" and has along the way kind of lost its emphasis on unity, it is still the basis for my religious upbringing through my grandmother Lizzie Belle Herndon Tucker and my mother Hazel Pauline Tucker Brandon.

As I sat in church this morning, I was thanking Lucy and others like her to whom following God was more important than family, traditions, and roots. I was thankful that my grandmother never forsook her membership during the long days after her father disinherited her for marrying "a neer-do-well." And that my mother continued to follow God even though her husband did not share her enthusiasm for the church (because he considered himself a once-saved-always-saved Primitive Baptist). And I am thankful that my husband Sam did the same thing Lucy did--forsook the Baptist church in his senior year in high school to become a member of the church and never looked back.

Mothers have a way of influencing future generations, and I am so thankful. I only pray that I have done the same thing for my son and his children. That will be my most important legacy.