What is your legacy?

Former Liberty University student Matthew Jackson leaves legacy of Christlike

When our time on Earth is over, how will we be remembered? What kind of legacy will we leave? And what does it mean to leave a legacy?

The events surrounding former Liberty University student Matthew Jackson’s recent death show how he left a lasting legacy, leaving Earth a better place than before.

During her shopping trip to a Trader Joe’s in California, Nov. 10 with her fussy 5-month-old daughter in her arms, Jamie-Lynne Knighten’s credit card was declined. Twenty-eight-year-old Jackson, who attended Liberty from 2007-2012, stepped forward and asked to pay for Knighten’s $200 grocery bill.

According Christianity Today, Jackson would not take no for an answer and said, “I would be glad to take care of your groceries as long as you promise to do it for someone else.”

Before Knighten left Trader Joe’s, Jackson mentioned what his name was and that he worked as a personal trainer at LA Fitness.

A week went by and Knighten decided to call Jackson’s manger, Angela Lavinder, at LA Fitness and explain to her what a great employee she had in Jackson.

However, Lavinder had to break the news to Knighten that Jackson had been killed Nov. 11 in a car accident, just one day after paying for Knighten’s groceries. Jackson had been paying it forward once again as he was driving his co-worker to Wal-Mart when his car went off the road and hit a tree.

According to NBC Today News, Knighten could not believe the news she had just heard. She was saddened she would never be able to thank Jackson again for his good deed.

“I could sense that he had a kind presence, but after talking to his family and friends, I found out just how big his heart was,” Knighten said to NBC Today News. “I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to meet him, but so sad that I won’t get a chance to thank him again.”

To keep the promise she had made Jackson, Knighten has already paid for three strangers’ grocery bills, according to NBC Today News. Knighten also made a Facebook page called “MatthewsLegacy” to encourage people to remember Matthew’s legacy as well as pay it forward.

Heather Piper, who grew up with Jackson in Phoenix, Arizona and then attended Liberty when Jackson was here, said her memories of Jackson included that he was an outgoing person as well as a talented musician.

“Anywhere we went he wasn’t afraid to talk to anybody at all,” Piper said.

Matthew had a habit of serving others way before his trip to Trader Joe’s Nov. 10.

Piper said Matthew would volunteer and help lead trail rides at the horse farm she worked at in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Leaving a meaningful legacy is living in such a way that you are remembered for the good you did on Earth. The way you love people should make them want to love others more. It means using the talents you have been given and making everyday count.

Jackson did not waste the time on Earth he was given.

“(His legacy) just shows somebody that is not afraid of living life to the fullest,” Piper said. “He was always up for new adventures.”

As a Christian it means living your life now in a way that people will remember not just you but how Christ worked through you. It means serving others and making choices that put others first.

Jackson did just that.

He spent $200 he could have used for anything else, on a stay-at-home mom who was having a rough night at the grocery store.

Jackson’s only expectation was for Knighten to pay it forward. He didn’t ask for a thank you or a pat on the back. He only wanted Knighten to bless someone else.

Piper said she was a firsthand witness to Jackson’s faithful serving of others.

“Anyone that knew Matt knew that God, his family and his girlfriend, Juli, were the most important to him,” Piper said via email. “He was passionate about Christ and reaching people. No matter how terrible your day had been, he always came up with a way to make you laugh. His smile was contagious, and he could easily command everyone’s attention in a room. He was never afraid to be himself. He always stood up for his friends and his faith.”

Jackson’s simple gift of paying for groceries will continue to be multiplied every time someone pays it forward with Jackson’s selflessness in mind.

This is how to leave a lasting legacy. You live your life serving others without expecting anything in return. Jackson will never see the media coverage of his good deed, but there is no doubt he has secured a legacy of showing Christ’s love.

Knighten has recently set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for the medical expenses of Jackson’s friends Mark and Nic who were injured in the crash that took Jackson’s life. Those who wish to pay it forward by donating can do so at https://www.gofundme.com/7ad2art8.

Rodriguez is the news editor.