The Old Globe

I was looking for something in the attic.
There are really not too many things up there.
We put industrial shelves in the unfinished part of our basement.
Many things are down there instead.

There are still a few bins that belong to some of my children.
There are some boxes of old photographs that belonged to my aunt.
There are empty gift boxes for whenever a present needs to be wrapped.
There are a few larger Christmas decorations that seem to have a home there.

I saw the table and chairs right away.
I can still see my youngest daughter sitting in one of the chairs, coloring.
If she wasn’t coloring, she was having a tea party.
How often I sat in the other chair, scrunching my long legs under the small table.

I saw the little doll stroller that had long been forgotten.
I made a mental note to bring it down for my granddaughter.
On top of the little table was a globe.
I remember that globe from when I was in elementary school.

I knew what I had to do.
I walked over to the globe and gave it a good spin.
The squeaking sound was the same as I remember.
It was not the years or the attic that caused the squeak; it was always that way.

I remember following the equator with my finger.
I remember finding the North Pole, or what I thought was the North Pole.
I remember finding our country in the continent of North America.
I remember finding my state on the eastern side of our country.

I used to like to run my fingers over the globe and feel the mountains.
I used to like to see all the blue water that covered the earth.
I knew the ocean that I put my feet in many times.
I found other oceans that were simply names to me then.

I appreciated the colors of the various countries.
I liked to try to read all their names when I was much too young to read them.
I enjoyed finding the countries I could read.
I felt so old and grown up.

My old globe was something my children played with as well.
However through the years, things had changed.
Countries that were on the old globe no longer existed anymore.
They existed geographically but they were known by another name.

I often wondered why I kept the old globe when it was obviously obsolete.
It’s great Mom, my oldest son said all those years ago.
He is a lawyer, who loves geography and history now as much as he did when he was a boy.
I often was unaware that the country changed its name, but he always knew.

He knew when and under what circumstances the change happened.
The old globe was something that challenged him.
He enjoyed seeing the way it was then.
He enjoyed knowing the way it is now.

When I saw the old globe, I knew.
I sent him a text right away.
I figured I would get a response later in the day if he was in the middle of something.
He responded right away.

I was up in the attic.
I saw our old globe.
I’m sure countries are quite different than what is represented here.
Knowing you love history, would you like this vintage globe for your office?

One word came back instantaneously: Sure!
I know my son; that exclamation point said it all.
He remembered.
He wants that part of our history to be with him.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
(Psalm 95:3-7)

The same God who created everything, holds everything He has made in His hands.
We sang that song when my children were young: He’s got the whole world in His hands.
He does.
God holds everything in His hands.

I may be uncertain about the borders of countries that are now different.
I may be confused about the new names of so many places I once knew.
I may only point to a few things successfully on that old globe.
But I am not God.

God, who holds the whole world in His hands, knows.
Nothing is a surprise to Him.
Nothing is out of His gaze and tender care for one second.
It does not matter if the entire globe looks totally different; it is known by God.

We are known by God.
The furthest place on the earth is seen by Him.
The heavens, in their vast array, is known by Him.
The depths of the sea is seen by Him.

We are held.
All creation is held.
Nothing man can do in the restructuring or renaming can change that truth.
God’s Hands are mighty yet so tender to the ones that He made.

I brought the globe down from the attic.
I cleaned it up a bit.
I found a few familiar places.
I gave it one good spin.