What Will Your Legacy Be?

By Tim Swanson

The bed of the truck was crowded as we bumped along the unpaved back roads of a remote Cambodian providence. I was among my bandmates and a few other artist on our tour. We joked and told stories as we traveled out to a remote village to perform, and give out big bags of rice to families that needed them. I considered myself fortunate to spend time with Bobby Micheals, who sat on the passenger side wheel well.

Bobby had been employed in the music industry for a very long time. In his younger years, he was a backup singer for Freddie Fender, Linda Ronstadt, B.J. Thomas, John Denver, Frank Sinatra, and the list goes on. After a serious cocaine addiction that landed him eating out of dumpsters, he became a Christian. He went on to start a missionary organization called Musicianaries International. After that, his career really took off. He cut several records that landed him Grammy nominations, and he traveled to dozens of countries on nearly every continent singing music that preached the gospel. Bobby was able to get into countries that had banned conventional missionaries. And at his concerts he would tell people about Jesus' love with his music.

The truck rumbled down the dirt road as we occasionally ducked to avoid a branch sticking out from the thick jungle that surrounded us. Our conversation eventually led Bobby to ask my bandmates and me a pointed question, “what will your legacy be?” The band mulled the question over. Being only 19, I responded with a blank stare. Bobby continued by telling us a story about a mentor of his who once asked him the same question. When Bobby told him about his success in making music, his mentor reminded him that his albums would someday be forgotten. He told Bobby that no matter how famous he became, his musical accomplishments would mean little in this world when after he was dead. So Bobby thought about the question for a moment and then told the mentor about a concert he had done on a beach in Hawaii where 60 young people began their life saving faith in Jesus. His mentor affirmed him, and told him that was the only thing that would matter.

So Bobby left us with that question. He never brought it up again. And I never stopped thinking about it. Then in April 2009 I got a call from one of my old band buddies, who let me know that Bobby passed away during one of his overseas tours. I feel really fortunate to have known him, and even more so to have learned from him. I tend to get consumed with petty things that won’t last. I have to refocus a lot. These days, my greatest aspirations are all focused around being a close and obedient follower of Jesus. If I can do that then I’ll have done well. It's like this quote from Charles Stanley, in his book The Ultimate Conversation: “Your intimacy with God, (which is) His first priority for your life, determines the impact of your life”. I get caught up with things that I can see, feel and touch. When I think about what I will leave behind when I go to hang out with Bobby Michaels, I usually imagine something that I can physically hand to someone. At times, these things can seem like the most important things. They can feel more important than spending time in prayer, study of Scripture or sharing how my relationship with Jesus has impacted my life. I have to remind myself that no song, album or public opinion will ever stick. Only the love that I share with Jesus will stick. So I try to bring that love to every area of my life. I'm terrible at it, but I don't stop trying. I try to show Jesus' love to my wife and children. I try to express His love to my team at Moon Valley Bible Church. And as scary as it is, I even seek to show his love to people that don't know him. All of that is a tall order. And the fact that I'm terrible at it is worth repeating. But, I know that those things are the best ingredients for a good legacy.