My paternal grandmother is almost a centenarian — someone who has lived to be 100-years-old. She has outlived all of her 10 siblings (except for one), her husband, and, unfortunately, a grandchild. My grandmother offers a first-hand recollection of the Great Depression, war, assassinations, and other events that changed the course of history. Recently, however, she has come to the realization that she has less life ahead of her than behind. So, she asked me to go upstairs and retrieve several old popcorn tins filled to the brim with photographs and memories. “I want you to help me go through these. You can take what you want. That way, when I die, you have all the pictures that mean something to you. I won’t need them anymore.” She said.
In 1974, Jim Croce sang a song entitled, “Photographs and Memories”. The lyrics began like this, “Photographs and memories, Christmas cards you sent to me. All that I have are these to remember you.” I hadn’t ever really contemplated the value of these words until I was sitting there, elbow-deep in a popcorn tin of Grandma’s photographs and memories. Some of the photos, I recognized (although the faces had changed quite a bit). Other photos, I had no idea existed. Something in particular that stuck out was a small booklet of fragile black and white photos taken of my grandfather, posing in a foxhole in Korea.
I sifted through the photos of people I didn’t recognize as my grandmother talked to me about her life. She explained who each person was to me. She told me about her brothers, her sisters, her mother, her father, her grandparents, and even some things that I didn’t know about my own parents and grandfather. That is when it occurred to me. My grandmother wasn’t only offering me photographs and memories. She was offering me a piece of her heart — because I am special to her. She was offering me something that I could carry with me after she’s gone.
It’s funny the things we take for granted while someone is sitting right in front of us. Sitting there with my grandmother, I found myself a sponge, yearning to absorb as much from her as I could. But now, there just didn’t seem to be enough time.
I can remember being no older than six and discussing death with my grandmother. She always told me, “When I die, every time you feel the breeze on your cheek, that’s me giving you a kiss.” She would even blow on my cheek to imitate how it would feel.
Still, no matter the age, the thought of death can be paralyzing. It is particularly troubling when it’s someone we love or care about. Life without them just seems impossible and empty. Yet, we will all experience death someday. And, if we know where we are going, it won’t be scary. It will be peaceful and joyous!
I would love to tell you that I know where my grandmother is going to be. Although I have talked with her about God and Heaven, bought her an audio Bible (because her eyes are bad), and she attended church regularly, only God knows her heart. All I can do is attempt to be an example of God’s love and keep pointing her to Him… just to be sure.
Something else occurred to me as I sat there longing to hear more about those pictures and all my loved ones posed in them. It occurred to me that I should have that longing to hear about my first love. I should want to know every single thing I can about the one who loved me first: Jesus. “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19.
What my grandmother was offering me were photographs and memories of people we both loved and a small piece of her heart. How could I not want that from my Savior? He offers that and so much more!
The difference between my grandmother’s popcorn tin of photographs and memories and the Word of God is that the Word of God is far more than photographs — or drawings — and memories.
God’s Holy Word tells me all that I will ever need to know about my Savior this side of Heaven. Yet, I do not delve into it the way that I once did. I don’t hunger for it the way I did when I first came to know Him. I don’t read and devour it the way that I used to. Jesus is present in the Word of God. His Spirit lives within my heart (because I asked Him to be Lord of my life). But His Spirit also lies within those pages! Again, it’s funny the things we take for granted while someone is sitting right in front of us.
Although learning more about my Savior is enough, it isn’t all that God’s Holy Word offers.
God created His Word to be an instruction manual. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
God’s Word was written to accomplish His plans and we should desire to be a part of that. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11. And He invites us to be a part of that!
God’s word is where we discover the Truth that brings about eternal life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24.
God’s word is a love letter to each of us. Because of our individual life experiences, personalities, and characteristics, God’s word reads differently to each of us. Some of us might hear victory in the book of Job. While others might hear victimization. And it is the same way throughout God’s Word. It is unchanging. And yet, as we enter different seasons and experience different challenges, we hear new truths from God.
When we read God’s Word, we enter into His presence. We can sit at His feet and listen as He whispers those things that He wants us to know. He will give us instruction and, through His Word, speak of His love for us. His Word is a powerful tool. It — and prayer — are avenues of access to God.
So, I will always have (and thank God for) the precious memory of that day with my grandmother. A day of sitting and listening, while being elbow-deep in a popcorn can of photographs and memories.
I won’t always be able to have that intimate and special time with my grandmother. But I can have it any time I want with my Heavenly Father… and so can you.
Father God, forgive us for not spending more time with You. Forgive us for not spending more time in Your Holy Word. Create in us a hunger to sit at Your feet and read Your word. Speak to us through it. Share your popcorn tin of precious photographs and memories with me, Lord!
As I wrote about sitting at our Heavenly Father’s feet and learning more about our Savior, did you desire more of Him? Did you wonder more about Him? He wants that intimacy with you. He wants to adopt you as His very own child. All it requires is that you say a simple prayer from the bottom of your heart. Please go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, a simple prayer like this is all that it takes to be forgiven and adopted by God.
Please pray that prayer. And, once you have, reach out to me. My email address is admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com. I’d love to hear from you. I’d also love to be in prayer with and for you.
Luv Ya!
