Your encouragement to slow down and write a legacy letter—a lasting note of gratitude and grace to those you love.
Dear Friends,
I first shared this piece a few years ago, and as I’ve spent more years as a grandmother and moved farther into the second half of life, I am more grateful for God’s goodness through the years.
In such a fast-paced world, writing a letter of gratitude reminds us again of God’s ongoing faithfulness.
We’ve talked before about leaving spiritual (non-material) legacies. This month, I invite you to consider writing a thank-you note—or a legacy letter of gratitude—as a lasting gift to someone in your life.
Remembering Grace through Gratitude
As we’ve welcomed six grandchildren in the past three and a half years, I often find myself remembering my days as a mother of young children. Married to an orthopedic resident who often worked eighty-hour weeks, I desperately needed help—and my mother stepped in with remarkable generosity.
Though she owned her own business and could hardly afford time away, she took off every Thursday afternoon for “Dede time,” beginning when our son was six months old. She bought strollers and swings and special baby things we couldn’t afford on a resident’s salary. As more children arrived, she gamely took on two, then three, and eventually all four—giving my husband and me much-needed time alone.
How grateful I am for her help. Now that she is gone, I sometimes wonder if I thanked her enough. Thankfully, she left evidence of my gratitude: a bin full of notes and cards I sent over the years. But now that I’m a grandmother myself, I find a new level of admiration rising—gratitude I wish I could express to her today.
Because our days are numbered, we want to be intentional about expressing gratitude to those who have been carriers of God’s grace in our stories.
Before we talk about how to write our letters, let’s look at the why.
“Charis Leads to Eucharistia”
Charis is the Greek word for grace. Eucharistia is the Greek word for gratitude. Theologian Karl Barth wrote:
“Charis always demands the answer eucharistia…Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth. Grace evokes gratitude like the voice an echo. Gratitude follows grace as thunder follows lightning.”
—Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, quoted in Eugene Peterson, Living the Message, 58
In other words, a Christian—a recipient of life-changing grace, who was once “dead in sin” but is now alive and free in Christ (see Ephesians 2:1; Galatians 5:1)—cannot help but move to the rhythm of gratitude.
Gratitude is the core of worship:
“Thank you, God. Thank you, friend, for showing me his goodness.
Thank you, blue and pink and purple cotton-candy sky, for pointing me to God’s glory.”
Because grace is the essence of our lives as Christians, it follows that we would be people of gratitude who express thanks intentionally and often.
Leaving a Legacy of Gratitude
One way to leave a legacy of gratitude is to set aside focused time to write—or record—your thanks so others can revisit it when you’re no longer here to voice it.
Writing a Legacy Thank-You Note
You can call your note a thank-you note or a legacy letter of gratitude. Choose whichever name feels most comfortable—the goal is simply to give a lasting gift.
If you’re unable (or too intimidated) to write, consider recording your message. Most phones have recording apps now. If you don’t know how to work them, ask a younger friend or grandchild to help.
To make the process of writing or recording your letter doable, try breaking it into short, prayerful sessions.
Session 1: Brainstorm
Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Make a list of people you’d like to thank and the things you’re grateful for.
If you need inspiration, consider:
- Parents: ways God has blessed, taught, or grown you through them.
- Children or friends: how you see Christ’s likeness in them, how they’ve loved or brought redemption in your life.
- Mentors or teachers: what they’ve passed on or modeled.
- God himself: how he has rescued, healed, or shown his grace.
Session 2: Write Rough and Fast
Choose one recipient and begin writing. Don’t worry about grammar or polish—just get your thoughts down.
To help you be specific, you might reflect on:
- What senses do you recall—sounds, smells, sights?
- What places were part of this memory?
- What happened? Was there a conflict and resolution?
- What did you see about God through this person or moment?
Session 3: Finish
If you haven’t finished, set another fifteen-minute timer and complete your note.
Session 4: Edit and Reflect
Now read your letter aloud. Does it sound like your voice and your heart? Adjust as needed.
Don’t worry about grammar or spelling—the recipient will not be concerned about these things!
Bonus Session 5: Process
Spend five quiet minutes reflecting on what this practice revealed to you.
- What did you feel as you wrote?
- Did you see something new about God, yourself, or the person you’re thanking?
- Did any new hopes arise as you wrote?
I’d love to hear what this stirred in you—share in the comments if you’d like.
Share Your Letter
- Mail it to the recipient.
- Read it aloud at Thanksgiving dinner.
- Save it in a collection of legacy letters, notes, or stories to be given someday to your loved ones.
Dear friends, I pray this exercise blesses you and those you love. You will never regret taking the time to express your gratitude—it is one of the holiest ways to remember God’s grace. And don’t forget — if you want to gather more of your legacy letters and stories, I offer one-on-one spiritual legacy coaching as well as a workshop. Contact me to learn more.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits.” — Psalm 103:2
I’m a writer, speaker, and coach who helps people navigate the issues of aging, caregiving, legacy, and end-of-life. I wrote Preparing for Glory: Biblical Answers to 40 Questions about Living & Dying in Hope of Heaven and several devotionals. Each month I send an email with free and paid resources for aging graciously. If you’d like to receive it on the first of the month, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/b__teX.
Prefer to read this via email or in an app? Find this article on Numbering Your Days with Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage.
