At home, we recently took on the task of cleaning out our attic! Yes, I can hear you groaning as you think about how much fun we had. Well, it wasn’t all bad. In fact, when we take time to de-clutter any segment of our lives, we actually feel somewhat liberated because we have created more space and discarded things that haven’t been needed for a long time. As my wise wife reminds me from time to time when embarking on a challenging project, “The dread is worse than the do!” She is correct once again! On this side of it, I’m thankful we did some work in the attic.
In doing so, I reconnected with some old pictures and reopened some chapters in my life. I now have a “new collection of old pictures” I had forgotten about. I am reminded of my youthful grandparents, my healthy and loving father who’s strength & smile were visible as he hugged me tight, what it was like to have little kids in the house and I revisited the harshness of life by looking into the eyes of those who would later face grief, loss, and tragedy in their life. I am a little more older and more mature compared to the last time I looked at these pictures. It is not news to you, but life is short, challenging, and can be flat out difficult.
We need Christ in our life and we need each other! When I walk through memory lane, relationships are highlighted, and I see how much we need our friends, family, and neighbors. Now that I am older, I realize that our names on letter heads, buildings, the desire to amass great wealth, and time spent stockpiling “stuff” is simply vain. Time spent on the relationships we have and how we treat, talk, and interact with each other should be paramount.
In his commentary on “Considering One Another,” Aubrey Johnson directs us to these verses:
“…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).”
“bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive (Colossians 3:13).”
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (I Thessalonians 5:11).”
God has much to say about our relationship with His Son and those we come in contact with. Looking through old pictures directed me to be more considerate of everyone I meet. May we act now to strengthen relationships, fix our faults, and seek contentment in Christ as we consider one another.
