Acts 9:36 - Resurrecting a Legacy

Jesus wasn't the only person in the Bible to be resurrected from the dead. One such person was a lady in the early church named Dorcas. "This woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did." (Acts 9:36b, New American Standard, 1995)

Unfortunately, Dorcas contracted an illness and died. The people from her church heard that Peter was visiting nearby and asked him to come. When he got there, 
"they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them." (Acts 9:39, New Living Translation)

It's an emotional scene. Widows back then didn't have Social Security checks. Particularly those without families; they were dependent on the charity and generosity of others. But these widows aren't mourning the loss of a seamstress; they were mourning the loss of a friend. The items of clothing they showed Peter were representative of Dorcas's kindness and charity before her death. Her generosity followed Jesus' instructions, to give to those who "do not have the means to repay you." (Luke 14:14)

Subsequently, God answered Peter's prayers and she came back to life. I suspect that whatever she did with her second life, she resumed making clothes for the poor, including those widows. 

When I die, I won't leave behind any items of clothing that I've sewn for the poor.
But I wonder: what legacy will I leave behind?

God, You want all of us to give of ourselves, particularly to those who can't pay us back. Whatever opportunities You give us, or maybe opportunities You want us to create, I pray that we leave a legacy of "deeds of kindness and charity" that are done in Jesus' name, Amen.