I couldn’t believe my eyes. In front of me stretched the most unbelievable lake I had ever seen. Surrounded by a silent sentinel of towering, majestic peaks and magnificent glaciers, it was surreal. But in my mind, what made the scene even more dramatic was the color of the water. It was, literally, a misty turquoise blue.

Thousands of tourists took pictures along its shoreline. Some of them even rented canoes to drift along in the shadowy turquoise waters. All were hoping to somehow capture a tiny element of the beauty to share with friend and family back home. I knew however, that no picture, no matter how well taken, could ever do justice to the brilliant color, to the regal mountains, to the glorious lake: the celebrated Lake Louise.

One can wonder why Lake Louise reflects such a beautiful turquoise hue. It turns out that the reason is really quite simple. The lake is fed by six glaciers. (Needless to say, its water is quite cold, less than 10 degrees C-50 degrees F-in the summer!) These glaciers have unbelievable power, for as they move and flow, they grind away the rock beneath them, turning the actual stone into a fine powder: Rock flour. This rock flour is transported via the meltwaters into the lake, causing the waters to absorb all the colours of the incoming light except for the vivid turquoise that is reflected back for us to enjoy.

Can you imagine trying to grind a tiny stone? Would be pretty hard, wouldn’t it? What about something as big as a boulder? I don’t know of any blender powerful enough to accomplish such a feat. And why would we want to grind rock, anyway? I’m not sure the results would be all that desirable: “Ouch. I lost another tooth eating my sandwich! I have only two left! Honey, please use less rock flour in the bread next week!”

But what appears to be unmovable and sturdy is slowly being turned into a fine powder, rock flour.

People so often spend their entire lives concentrating on their work, neglecting their own family, hoping to leave a legacy for future generations. “I want to do something to be remembered by,” they reason. In reality, doesn’t this kind of a legacy tend to go unnoticed by future generations? For example, does anyone know off hand who invented the blender? What about the TV or the radio? Small wonder. Except for a select few, these inventors’ names have long been forgotten.

Even famous people are rarely remembered for the gifts they gave the world. Take Julius Caesar, for example. Most of us remember him as the one who was murdered by Brutus. Then there’s Plato. He used to walk around with rocks (not rock flour!) In his mouth. And Isaac Newton? Didn’t an apple fall on his head? Ouch! In all, not glorious ways to be remembered!

But the glaciers are not out to produce anything so well known as a TV. All they do is produce this fine dust, rock flour. It may seem insignificant, but it is responsible for the stunning beauty of world-renown Lake Louise.

Remember, no matter how insignificant your actions, they will be noticed. Some, like the rock flour, will be remembered in a good light, while some, whether intentionally or unintentionally, will only bring hurt. People may forget what you’ve contributed in life, but they won’t forget your actions.

What kind of legacy are you leaving behind?

Only one Rock is unmovable and indestructible: “They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” (1 Cor 10:3 NIV)

Those who build their life on that Rock will be unmovable as well! “I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” (Luke 6:47-48 NIV)

Those who build their lives on the Rock, Jesus, are the ones who will be remembered for eternity. Not by their own merits, but by the merits of the One who made it all possible. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” (Rom 8:16-17 NIV)

How will you be remembered?

Rob Chaffart