Snapshots

We've always had a rolling screen saver on our computer monitor that has been composed of a few specially chosen photographs that my husband would select just for that purpose. It's always been fun to see the pictures go by during the day and since our computer is kept in the living room, it's fun to share the memories with friends who are visiting. Recently, my husband did something to where the computer just brings up ALL of the photos we have stored on our computer from all the years gone by in random order. Some of them are breathtaking, iconic memories from our past, some of them are strange and odd shots that should have been deleted because no one can even identify what they are, and some of them are really silly and maybe slightly embarrassing like the time I caught my hubby in his boxers! Ooops! Should really delete that one...not especially the kind of pic I want scrolling by when I have the girls over for coffee! ;)

Half-dressed shots aside, looking back at these images really has been quite a trip down memory lane. I am starting to finally get over that gut reaction of "Ohmygoodness I looked so fat/skinny/fill-in-the blank back then!" We have all had those thoughts when looking at old pictures of ourselves, whatever the case may be. We don't realize how much we've changed over the years. After all, everyone else ages, but we stay the same, right??? But anyway, call it maturity or just a simple case of acceptance but I am starting to look beyond that now and to truly be mesmerized by these images that are meandering over my screen. My whole household has sat transfixed as we watch snapshots of our history play out before us. And it has been beautiful.

Christmases, Birthdays, trips to the pumpkin patch, field trips, fireworks, trucker's parades, trick-or-treating, family gatherings, graduations, vacations, and even and most especially, every day life. I'm almost breathless as I see pictures of our kids and our nieces & nephew roll by and see how little they were and I think about how much I love them and it just knocks me out--the depth of that love. Then you see the at the time unnoticed little expressions on their faces as they look at one another or react to something in the photo. You see time go by as baby teeth turn to missing teeth which turn to crooked pre-teen teeth. I was amazed when I saw how teeny tiny my babies really were when they were new. Seeing how tall that Lego tower was that my son built or how much fun we had on that houseboat trip even though it rained half the time. Even our pets have changed and one special one has said good-bye and we look back with fond memories.

They say that life isn't about the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments that take your breath away. And watching these images from our past has truly illustrated to me the breathtaking moments in our everyday lives. One day at a time, bit by bit, the drops that have filled the bucket of our memories are incredibly beautiful and from these memories our lives are constructed. We can't change the past, or waste time worrying about it, but we can look back and remember. Where our kids might not recall certain memories, we can hand them down in stories, almost as captions to the pictures, painting their history in words in indelible tales of our families' love and growth. We can witness God's hand as we look back on how our circumstances have changed, and we can see His greetings of love in those images of nature, that sunrise, rainbow, or wildlife that came to visit. We feel the frosty cold of the snow and the heat of that summer vacation. And it's good. It is so very good.

And what's neat is that boxer-pics excluded, there is not much that pops up on to the screen that we wouldn't mind sharing with anyone who comes by because more often than not, they're in there too, somewhere. Family and friends that have become family have made the journey so sweet. And we have lived behind our closed doors much the same way we have lived in public. Never perfect, but always growing. God centered. Home centered. Family centred.

I encourage you to try a similar experiment with your family photos. See what you can see. Take that trip down memory lane. And get a taste of how beautiful your life has been both in the special occasions and in the everyday moments.

"Dear Lord, Thank you for the Lord.

And for Jesus.

And for paper to write on.

And for toys.

Amen."

~Norah saying the blessing over dinner one random weeknight.