Yesterday evening hubby was working on converting old slides to digital photos. He was able to find the handiest little machine on Amazon to do such a thing, and last night he hooked this little machine up to our TV so I could enjoy looking at the old photos as well.
In the process of going through the slides, this photo showed up …
This photo really took me by surprise because just a few hours earlier I had posted photos of this exact same waterfall frozen over in its wintry beauty, for yesterday’s blog post.
And here … here was the exact same waterfall 73 years prior – photo taken in 1952. And it hadn’t changed at all!
The exact same waterfall … and it looked exactly the same!
I knew I had taken an identical photo just like this one, from this exact same parking lot just two years ago at Thanksgiving. I went looking and sure enough I found the photo. However, my precious family was front-and-center in the photo (and I know they wouldn’t want to be featured on the blog). So, after cropping out my family, this is all you get of the waterfall.
In the photo from 1952 notice how empty the parking lot was. Only two cars.
When my family visited this waterfall at Thanksgiving two years ago the parking lot was completely packed. We circled the parking lot multiple times (along with everyone else circling the parking lot too!) before we managed to finally find a spot.
The waterfall might not have changed in 73 years, but it certainly is now overrun with humanity! The crowds and the press of humanity leaves you feeling somewhat suffocated!
I was very moved last night when this old photo from 1952 showed up on our TV screen … because the young couple, so full of life & youthful enthusiasm, who took the photo are no longer here on this earth. They have been called on to Heaven. In fact, they have been gone for 20 years now.
They lived a long and full life! They had a beautiful family! Mixed in amongst the slides were photos of their adorable little toddlers! Slides of their children growing up.
Not only that, their children had long and full lives! Mixed in amongst the slides were wedding photos of their children’s marriage … a cute young couple, full of life & youthful enthusiasm … the next generation.
That young couple had a beautiful family. Their children grew up … and married. Yet another cute young couple full of life & youthful enthusiasm! And then grandchildren came along.
Now … this past year, those grandchildren celebrated a wedding. The next generation. A cute young couple, full of life & youthful enthusiasm!
Life goes so fast! The majestic waterfall from 73 years ago is still tumbling a cascade of water over the cliff face … it hasn’t changed at all. And yet … life itself is so fleeting! Generations have come … and gone … in that exact same time.
As I gazed at the 73-year-old photo last night I was struck with just how brief life is!
God only gives us a small window of time to live on this earth. And then it’s over. Our time on this earth is done. And God calls us to Himself. What are we doing with the precious small window of time God has given us??
“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” – James 4:14
“The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; … for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” – Psalm 90:10
Yesterday’s blog post compared the water flowing over the falls to God’s love pouring out for us. In looking at the 73-year-old photo of the exact same waterfall, I couldn’t help but think how faithful and constant God is! 73 years ago God was pouring out love to the young couple who took the photo.
God was faithful to them their entire lives! God loved them and was with them each step of their journey through life! And when their time on this earth was over, God took them to be with himself in Heaven! God doesn’t change! God is the same yesterday, today, and will be forever!
That young couple’s beautiful children … God has been faithful to them too! God has loved them! God has been with them each step of their journey through life.
And their children – that would be hubby & me – God has been faithful to us too! God has been so good and so faithful to us! God has loved us! God has been with us each step of our journey.
And our children … God has been faithful to our children! God has been so good and faithful to our kids! God loves our kids so much! God has taken such good care of our kids!
Life might be brief … the waterfall might not have changed in 73 years … but one thing is for certain – God never changes! God will always be! God will always pour out his love! God will always be present! God will always be faithful!
God is the same yesterday … today … and forever!
