Erma Bombeck wrote a column about the conflicts that sometimes occur as siblings divide family items after a parent has died. Whether it's the mixing bowls, grandma's quilts, or the Christmas ornaments, people are often convinced that they alone should have a certain item. Bombeck said she never wanted a TV set or a tote bag to remember her parents, because their true legacy to her was the way they lived, not what they left behind.

Those comments caused me to ask, "What kind of legacy would I like to leave my children?" I've concluded that I would like my kids to feel that their dad helped them learn where to go during the storms of life.

Three times in Psalm 46, the writer refers to the Lord as "our refuge"—a place of protection during times of danger or distress (vv.1,7,11). And in Proverbs 14:26, we read about the God-fearing man as one whose children "will have a place of refuge."

If I learn to find shelter and strength in the Lord today, then my children have an example to follow and know where to turn. I'd be pleased if someday they would all say of that refuge they've found in the Lord: "Dad wanted me to have this."  — David C. McCasland