Marble and Sand

Year 8-Day 167: Today, I am grateful for marble and sand.

Record keeping is an important part of being human. We learn so much from keeping records. Storytelling is a way of record keeping. Most cultures place a high value upon their storytellers. 

Historians, museum curators, journal keepers, scrapbook keepers and family historians are all record keepers. 

There are times that getting an honest history is challenging.  Winston Churchill once noted that history is usually written by the victor. 

Some kings in history would not allow anything to be written down that showed themselves in a poor light. Scribes did not have much opportunity for free speech if they wanted to keep their heads. 

This West African proverb rings true: "“Until the Lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.”

Yes, who is telling the story can make a difference in how truth is perceived. 

What about our own stories of daily trials and blessings? I've grown accustomed to tracking daily gratitude, but real life has both the struggles and the sweet spots. I love this suggestion from Charles Spurgeon:

"We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in sand." -Charles Spurgeon

There is deep truth in his words. We can so easily wear our struggles like tattoos or merit badges, but trials are temporary. Our trials help us grow in strength and wisdom, but they are not who we are. Our identity does not need to be defined by our broken places. There is an enemy who wants us to feel defeated, but we were born for so much more. 

We are called "Joint-heirs with Jesus".  He took the cross so we could be "debt free". We live every day in light of his victory over sin and death. That is big stuff. Write down the daily celebrations in marble and let the trials be recorded in the sand. 

"And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it." -Habakkuk 2:2

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." -1 John 5:13

I am grateful for record keeping. 

Today, I am grateful for marble and sand.