Walking on the beach is great fun and many people enjoy it. On a recent visit to Florida, I had several opportunities to do just that. I can get caught up in simple pleasures, so it was fun to leave footprints in the sand and then watch the oncoming waves slowly wash the prints away as if they had never been there. Eventually no evidence remained that I had walked along a particular part of the beach. But I knew I had.
That got me to thinking about our time on earth. We live our lives from one day to the next. The passage of time washes away many of the things we do. Today, each of us would be hard pressed to account for how we spent a month of our time 20-30 years back. We’d have a general idea – attending classes in college, starting a new job, enjoying outings with friends. But the moment-by-moment, day-to-day particulars would be hard to articulate.
Yet the inability to catalogue all those moments from years ago doesn’t mean they didn’t happen. The kind word we spoke to a friend in need, shoveling the snow for a sick neighbor, taking a meal to the family with a newborn; these may be lost to time, but their effect is not lost. And for our omni-present, omniscient God, nothing is lost. He knows every detail not just of your life or my life, but for all of history.
Time Heals
It may be cliché to say that time heals all wounds. Some deep wounds may never heal this side of eternity. Yet there are others that will heal as the passage of time eases and removes the biting sting that originally created the wound. For many years, my family did not see an aunt and uncle. When my mother finally took the initiative to reconcile the family rift, no one could really remember what the dispute had even been about.
Time Erases
More than once I’ve put my foot in my mouth. Most episodes are inconsequential, but there are those few times when my embarrassment is more than justified. I feel like I will never be able to face the person again. Over and over I’ve noticed what I thought was bound to end a relationship really is just a minor stutter in the friendship. Time allows my embarrassment to ease, my apology to take root and the sting of my words to subside.
Time Shapes
If we remembered every step we took, every word we spoke and every event we participated in, we would be completely overwhelmed. Scientists say our brains retain all of this. Thankfully we don’t have to live in the state of constant and overwhelming recall. While this is a blessing, there are times when I feel discouraged. I can look back on my life and wonder how I would ever account for a day, week or month if I were pressed. When I remember that time has washed away many of my activities, but not eliminated the effects of those activities, I cross back to being encouraged.
Many of the moments of our lives may have been washed away by time. That does not, in the end, mean the meaning and value of our lives has also been washed away.