We are always fascinated with old pictures.
Be they from 100 years ago, ourselves from high school, or just last month.
They create a nostalgia and flood us with memories. We think about the way things were, who we were, and the changes that have occurred. We critique our fashion choices (which were questionable at best) and can’t help but think about how far we have come.
For the contrast between what ‘was’ and what ‘is’ grows sharper the further you go back. I recognize this phenomenon most in the children of old friends. Years can pass between our meetings and our friends still appear mostly the same, however the changes in their kids are striking. Who was once a baby is now a toddler, the former toddler now in elementary school, and the oldest one stands eye-to-eye with me. These kids provide a physical manifestation of the time passed since our last reunion. And time is truly relentless.
Confronted with the dramatic changes in those children, I am forced to reflect on how I too have matured and developed over that time period. The reality is often underwhelming. I would like to credit my lack of change to my already being so advanced, but the truth is less flattering.
“It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that.”
My fear is that ‘not so long ago’ actually still rings true for me today. For I still feel stubborn, betrayed by my desires, and hated and hating back. Sure I have moments of maturity and peace, but once I am tired, hungry, or otherwise frustrated I can easily slide back into what should be abandoned ways.
The problem is I attempt to face the challenges of life alone. I don’t want to bother God and others with things I deem below the ‘major-life trauma’ cut-line, so I set out mostly alone and accordingly I struggle.
However, the truth is if we ever want our ‘are’ to look different than our ‘were’ we are going to need some help. And not just in the big things, but in the everyday things as well. For life is challenging, and we were never designed to navigate it alone. Maybe it is time to swallow some pride and embrace the wisdom and help available across the full-spectrum of our life experience.