I’ve been having a wonderful visit with my Oklahoma kids. Since I live in California, our visits have to be well planned for and I don’t get to see them as often as I would like, even though I try to get there every few months.
The other night, my grandbabies and I were looking at old videos on my phone. We came across some adorable memories of when they were all quite a bit younger and spent the evening reminiscing about all the awesome times we’ve been able to have together.
There was the time they raked together a pile of leaves and then jumped in, as I captured the laughter on video. My grandson made the comment that he remembered the pile of leaves being much larger than it appeared in the video. Then he realized he was much smaller back then and that’s why!
Then there was the visit to a butterfly habitat when they all got their own freshly hatched butterfly in a cup to release out into the beautifully landscaped area where they would spend the rest of their lives flexing their wings and entertaining the next group of visitors. It was so interesting, watching and comparing how each of them emptied their cups of that little butterfly and it felt like we were back at that habitat, experiencing it all over again.
We watched old soccer game videos, singing at church, birthday parties and visits to the pumpkin patch, complete with pig races! It was just so fun recalling these small, captured moments from the past.
One of the things I noticed was the fact that every memory we relived was a happy, joy filled experience. I didn’t have a single picture or video of a crying grandbaby, or any arguments between siblings. There were no examples of the sorrow that was felt when a pet passed away or a test was failed. No mention of hurtful episodes with friends or instances of disobedience. Only happy, loving moments that made my heart warm.
Don’t you wish that our experiences in life were more like the many happy moments we capture on our phones and cameras? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we never had to be reminded of the dark, hurting moments we all go through in life? Wouldn’t it be great to live only in life’s highlight reel?
But life isn’t like that. Life is complex and comprised of more than just happy highlights. And like one of my favorite singer/songwriter says, “Life is not the mountaintops, it’s the walking in between.”
It’s very easy to show the world and those around me only the highlights of my life. My Instagram post doesn’t always truly reflect the reality of my day. How many of us have sat through Zoom meetings dressed for success from the waist up while the waist down gets to remain cozy in the pj’s we have’t changed from since Christmas?
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with revisiting the highlight reel once in a while. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to put our best selves out there for the world to see. The challenge comes when that’s the ONLY thing we focus on and the only part of ourselves we share with others.
How can I be a good friend, if I never let you know that I’ve been through the same disappointments and pain that you’re going through and was able to come out to the other side? How relatable am I if everyone around me thinks nothing ever goes wrong for me and my life is filled with nothing but rainbows and butterflies? I don’t believe I’d be of any good to anyone, and that’s not who God created me to be or what He requires of me as a child of His.
God calls us to be truthful, real and humble. It takes a lot of humility to admit that I’m not perfect. But the reality is, God says I’m not perfect, only He is. That takes a lot of pressure off when I truly believe it!
I believe God enjoys going through the highlight reels of our lives with us. He loves when we relive moments that He gave us as reminders of His presence – family, friendship, laughter, the beauty of nature. But even more importantly, He loves to sit with us as we are hunkered down in pain. He loves to hold us as we cry over loss and He reaches over to wipe away our feelings of inadequacy.
Our God is a God who loves us so deeply and completely. He isn’t afraid of our selfishness or the hurtful words we say to each other. He knows those are moments that prove that we are human and that we need Him. He knows that there is more to me than my highlight reel. And He loves me anyway!
Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise Him, all you people of the earth. For He loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord! – Psalms 117:1-2
