God is With Us

 

This scene tells a story. Or, at least, it inspires me to imagine one. In this house lives a little boy or girl. This child loves to play with a ball. From early in their life, they particularly loved the game of basketball. As a toddler they enjoyed the small goal on the left. It started out in the living room, set at the lowest height. Little by little the child improved. Little by little the goal was raised higher. Soon it moved outside to the driveway.

Finally, the little goal was too small. It was an exciting day, perhaps a Christmas morning, when the child was led out to the driveway for the surprise of the big goal on the right. It, too, started out on the lowest setting. As the child grew, the goal was raised and the skill set was perfected. Now the child is a teenager and plays for their school. The two basketball goals mark their growing up through the years. The two basketball goals stand as a reminder of the journey.

In the Bible, the people often built themselves reminders of their journey. The great prophet Samuel set a stone as a reminder. When Joshua crossed the river, he had a member of each tribe place a stone in a pile as a reminder. To others, these may just been a pile of rocks, but to the people they were a reminder of God’s faithfulness and presence. To some who pass by, the basketball goals are just objects that have taken up space in a driveway for years and years. But to the family they are a reminder of the growth of a beloved child. My guess is that they will remain for many years to come.

It is good to remember how God has been with us through the passage of time. Remembering in happy times, our joy is doubled. Remembering in hard times, our faith is renewed by seeing that God has never left us yet.

Peace.