Tip of My Iceberg

“Whose arms are the longest?” The question was legitimate; we wanted to take a picture of our small group where we’d all be in it.

Our friend, David, not only had the longest arms but the moxie to be the one to take the picture.

We crowded around him, bobbing here and there to get our faces in focus, to find a space in the mix where the littles could be as easily seen as the bigs.

Laughing the whole time.

There’s something about recording memories of fun times that lightens everyone’s hearts. We’d been together bowling–none of us would have made a professional league. Nor would we have been able to compete at a high school level.

We were that bad.

But the fun was laughing together as each of us had a variety of approaches, some throwing with power, others lofting the ball, letting it smack the lane with a loud thud, others who loved the gutters more than the center of the lane.

What we lacked in skill we made up for in humor.

We went back to our house afterward to celebrate a birthday and have some fun refreshments as we continued in a mood of humor and gratitude for one another. A wonderful memory.

So when selfie time came, it was in that mentality that we took the picture.

Memories are valuable for helping us see where we’ve been and remembering what had been significant for us at that time. They’re the lumber of our lives, the things we build on and treasure.

They’re more than what has happened; they shine a light on how we should move forward.

Moving forward isn’t always easy or joyful.

Corrie Ten Boom, a survivor of the German concentration camps in World War II, said, “Memories are the key, not to the past, but to the future.” The pain she experienced at the hands of the Nazis didn’t trap her in hate and anger but freed her to have pity and compassion on the people who hurt her. She was able to forgive her jailers.

Many of our memories are full of pain and regret, wounds that haven’t healed. But remembering what happened and choosing to not let them hold us captive to a darkness of heart, we can be freed from bitterness that can be more harmful to our souls.

King David, whose life reflected incredible joy and horrific challenges and mistakes, had a relationship with God that, even in his times of darkness, held him close to hope.

“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow Your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasure of living with You forever.” Psalm 16:8-11

Life will always be a challenge, and our memories may reflect the kaleidoscope of the hard and good, the wounds and wonders. Jesus gives us the strength and courage to hold those in tension, to allow us to learn from the set backs and hurts so that we might grow in compassion for ourselves and others.

Selfies aren’t just the inspiration of our own significance but a reminder that we’re part of a bigger picture than we’re aware of. We live in a time and place where we get to make a difference, where we can be intentional about our choices, our actions.

Jesus gives us that strength. In Him, it’s not just about ourselves.

It’s about our souls.

They matter.