This picture was taken the year before I was born. Four of my cousins gathered for their “stair step” photo in front of my aunt’s house, documenting their growth from year to year. I chose this picture as an example of the photos of our youth. The pictures had margins. Within the margin was the date the photo was developed. Grandma could write names and places in the margin so we could remember who was there and where we were. A lot of information was held in that margin. It was a breathing space between then and now.

Somewhere along the line, we lost the margin in our photos. The image was pushed to the edge and there was no room to identify, date, document what was happening. It was just gone. We lost something when we lost the margins. We lost space and time. Not only in our photos, but in our lives. While modern conveniences may have added hours to our days…how much life was actually added? What did we fill our margins with? TV? Food? Busyness?

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking for more margins these days. As I sat on the beach yesterday, watching surfers, fishermen, shell hunters, and sunbathers I thought about all the times I could have put more margins in my life. More space and time for others. More space and time for me. I contemplate what I had to give up to get to be here…toes in the sand, sun on my face, the sound of the surf pounding on the shore. I gave up a bunch of stuff that I didn’t care about anymore. I gave up buying designer clothes and umpteen pairs of shoes I didn’t need. I gave up house payments and big utility bills. I gave up expensive meals out. I sacrificed some time with my family that I try so hard to make up for when I go back for visits.

I gained space. Peace. Freedom. Time. Love. Joy. Kindness. A relationship with God. A home church. I gained stillness…a margin of space within which I can think my thoughts and write them down. I’ve regained the margin around the picture of my life and that is worth much more to me than furniture and an address or a fancy car. I’ll take my margin any day of the week. ❤️

“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭62:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬