So much of this life is defined in the metric of time. Time is a language that transcends across cultural boundaries and generational differences. We all understand the concept of time. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years. Time. The essence of our existence.
On this journey of life we experience events that, at times, are so significant they leave behind marks on our timeline known as memories. Memories are fascinating intricate pieces of our lives. They fit together piece by piece into the puzzle that, together, paints the picture of our story. How many pieces we get; we don’t know. But when the last piece is laid our puzzle is complete.
The landscape of the puzzle changes dramatically one piece to the next as life events occur changing the shape of our puzzle pieces. Painting the story of our life one piece at a time. Puzzles of all sizes are constructed by the number of pieces tightly fit together until the last piece brings the picture to a close. Complete.
Pieces of the puzzle; memories
Memories can be treasures of fond thoughts, warm feelings, and laughter. Other memories serve to remind us of our strength and resilience as we faced challenge and adversity, yet overcame. Memories can be sparked by smells, familiar surroundings, sights, songs, a smile in the face of a stranger, or an activity once shared.
There are memories that provoke deep pain and ache as they represent significant grief or loss. Those are memories that leave more than a blip on our timeline. They can be such an impact they split our timeline leaving a before and an after. Who we once were and now are.
A life too short. Loss of love. An abrupt realization that something or someone is not what you once thought. Tragedy. A diagnosis you never wanted to hear. The place you were when you heard the news. A hollow ache in your chest cavity where a beating heart once was only to be replaced by the echo of your silent screams. Indescribable pain.
Time.
The metric of measurement by which our temporary lives are defined on this earth.
There are many defining moments along the timeline of life. Likely the two most significant are birth and death. Stamped on the certificate of life is the date and time of our birth. Etched into the memories of our parents, close friends, and family. The day of our arrival. Countless hours, days, months, and years of time ahead of us. The possibilities are endless. Often great joy is in this moment. A memory that eclipses the pain of childbearing with a depth of love never felt before in the heart of momma. Birth.
Death. Stamped on the certificate of death is the date and time of our last day. The final minute we spend on this earth forever captured in a moment on the timeline of life. The day of our departure. A whisper of time behind us measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Friends, family, and others say their goodbyes with heavy aching hearts pouring out tears of grief as the time we once knew is no more.
Time. Is everything there was between birth and death. The timeline of life with blips of memories is no longer. What once felt like an abundance of opportunity now lays down in finality. The last piece of the puzzle is snapped into place completing the picture of our story. Admittedly, some puzzles are larger than others. They’re piece count is higher.
As we navigate this timeline of life we aspire for many things. Memories. Good memories. Those are the ones we enjoy to play over and over in our lives. Memories associated with heartache and pain are unavoidably part of our timeline as well. Some of these memories are the ones we wish never were. Yet, they are.
Our human lens is constrained to the measurement of life as a temporal element of time. Its reality is the frailty of time. The lens of God measures this time on earth as a flower fading, here today, gone tomorrow. He is not limited to the metric of time in the way we are. When He delivers a word of promise, it is complete. Our human expectations are seeking the measurement of our promise by the metric we understand, time. He says, trust me. My word is always true. My promises are good. I am faithful. I do not lie. On these promises, as we stand looking for the solid rock of truth, to find firm footing, we have to guide our sight by faith and not human eyes and human understanding.
God brings a promise. We celebrate. Praise. Rejoice. Mistakenly, then we walk looking through our lens and we begin to doubt, wonder, fear, and worry. This, friend, is where walking by faith takes on new life. His promises are good and faithful. We waver. He does not.
The memories, splits of time, pain, hurts, aches, scars we wish never were are all together in a testimony of His glory waiting to be shared with others whose journey has been similar to yours. As our spiritual walk with Christ deepens and grows we learn to lean our hurts into him for divine healing. The kind of healing only Jesus can give. Then, with his healing, we become a vessel, flowing his Spirit through, reaching others from a whole heart we never imagined possible. Our timeline of life becomes with divine purpose serving others who have felt the same division of time in their life, who they were and who they are now.
Friend, lean into Jesus, let him heal your hurts, and then paint the puzzle of your story with a testimony that pours into others His glory and His goodness. When the last piece is placed into your puzzle of life, let your picture tell the story for generations to come, of the hope Christ is for the temporary life and most importantly, for eternity.
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 18 NLT
