Leaving a Legacy

Today was a great day at church.  We had a deacon ordination and installation service.  Eleven men of God were called to perform a great duty for our church.  Today's service kind of put things in perspective for me.  It made me wonder if I'm leaving a great legacy.  Often times, people tell me this or that about me.  It feels nice.  Brings me joy to know that I'm mildly liked and somewhat respected.  I think about these great men of God who chose to take the path of church deacon and wonder if I'm doing what I need to do to be seen as a great man of God.  I know that you're not supposed to do things for the glory of man, however I also want people to know that I did love God when I'm long gone from not just this world, but from any place I've been.  I think about the recent passing of Joe Paterno.  His legacy for the first 84 1/2 years of his life were that he was a great football coach, a contributor to his university, and a humanitarian.  However the last 3 months have been filled with turmoil to the point where people question his ethics and morals.  I don't want that to be the case for me.  I want people to know that I made a positive difference for the world.  I don't want one screw up to be the place people go when they say, "Hey, what about that Tyrone Dudley?"  So I'm making it my goal to always be the positive influence I need to be.  I will make it a point to be a blessing to everyone I know, meet, and come in contact with.  I'm not sure exactly what I will do specifically.  I don't really have a game plan.  No one really does in these types of things.  I just know that I want to leave the world a better place than when I found it.  Of course if I had my druthers, that would include Ke$ha being banned from the radio and any "emo" band being sent through extensive musical training to sing something delightful.  And of course Crystal Pepsi comes back to us.  Beyond those trivial things, I can't think of what I would do.  I am going to ask God for ways to be a better person than I am and for ways to make where I am better.  I want my legacy to be one where they say, "Tyrone Dudley made me a better person and this a better place."  I'm sure I'll be successful at it.  Outside of throwing a football with a tight spiral, I'm pretty good at everything I do.