One Saturday night my freshmen year in college, my roommate and I went to find ice cream at 10 pm in the middle of winter. Finding none and forgetting that coffee contains caffeine, we opted for large coffees at a bookstore. When we got back to our dorm room just before curfew, we tried to go to sleep, but obviously could not.
So, instead of fighting it we both pulled out photo albums of mission trips we'd taken during our high school years. We sat on that bottom loft bed, side-by-side till the wee hours of the morning flipping pages, pointing to pictures, and telling each other story after story of God's goodness, God's power, God's love. It was a night I will never, ever forget.
For me the beauty of photographs is that they help us remember who our God is . . similar to the stones of remembrance in the Old Testament. Looking at pictures from days gone by . . . whether they be family photos, vacation photos, mission trip photos, or just old random snapshots . . . I can't help but remember how faithful God has been in keeping His promises.
Even photos from the "rough times" in life, still speak to how He was faithful to carry us through--that even in bad situations He still remained all-powerful and all-good. Even photos that are before I was born--of my grandparents when they were children or of my parents on their wedding day--these older photos serve as a testimony of how God has worked in and through the various generations of my family.
For me, the beauty of a photograph is that it inevitably causes my heart to swell with praise and thankfulness to the Most High God for all that He has blessed me with and for all that he is. Now isn't that a great reason to flip (physically or virtually) though photo albums!?!
So true!!! What a beautiful memory of your college years, too. Maybe coffee instead of ice-cream was what you were supposed to have that winter night afterall! God is sooooooo good to us!
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda! Thanks for the trip down memory lane, of our trip down memory lane! :-) God is good. And I love your gentle way of encouraging us to be constantly mindful of His blessings. Yes, we can see it through everything, even a simple photograph.
ReplyDeleteI just looked at the clock and saw that it's 10pm again. My baby is in bed and my husband is on his computer. I wish I could grab you and go for some coffee and a chat again! I can't think of anything sweeter right now.
Missing you back home,
LeAnn
Yes, wonderful thoughts! They are exactly like the stones of remembrance...testifying to all that God has brought us through. What special memories - thank you so much for sharing Amanda ((hugs))
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