PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• When I was in elementary school, I found the idea of a time capsule to be fascinating.
My friends and I would bury boxes of toys and notes in the yard, with the intent that someone, someday, would discover our own little time capsule.
But over time, my tender young heart’s fascination for time capsules receded.
And for a very long time, I haven’t heard of anyone making them or finding them.
However, there was big news about a time capsule in my community yesterday.
Our oldest (and one of the busiest) shopping centers opened a 50-year-old time capsule, the contents of which will go on display later this week.
From the pictures and video footage I’ve watched, it looks incredible.
While I didn’t go myself (homebody, rainy day, big crowd—choose your favorite reason), I am eager to see the contents.
It’s like discovering a self-written history book by the ones who put the time capsule together.
As I’ve thought about the anticipation of opening said time capsule, I wondered about the people who would be there to remember it.
And I wonder what they think about the things that are unearthed.
To be honest, to sit down and talk to one of them would be as fascinating (if not more so) than the contents.
It all ties back to my lifelong love of history.
And the history we write every day.
While you and I may never make a history book, we are a collective part of the humanity of history.
We all contribute our own part to the overall story that God ordained when He created the world.
Yet, as James wrote in James 4:14, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
Our lives are brief when you consider the timeline of the world.
As one who believes in the Biblical creation and the 6000-year-old earth—my 44 years don’t amount to much when you break out the calculator to get a percentage.
But what if I did leave a time capsule of my life, what would be in it?
Would I leave behind a collection of bad memories or would those who remember me recall a woman who loves Jesus?
Would there be those who could testify to the changes Jesus made in my life as I went from Christian teenager to adult prodigal to recommitted Christian?
Is the work I’ve allowed the Holy Spirit to do in my life of significance?
When my life is over, and my eternity begins, will my time capsule be impactful enough for others?
We may be a mist but even a mist can make an impact.
Don’t believe me?
Leave a piece of paper outside during a misty day and then look at it again.
Our lives may be a mist but that doesn’t mean we can’t leave behind a legacy.
But God lets us choose what will be in our own personal time capsules.
I know what I want people to find in mine.
What do you want found in yours?
Today, as you pray, thank God for giving you a part in this whole story.
Thank Him that He’s given you the gift of another day, so you can add to your story.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you write one that is worth remembering.
