The Museum of You
This past week, I was able to visit the Mobile Museum of History in Downtown Mobile. It was my first visit there, and I enjoyed taking in the stories of such a fascinating city and area. I was impressed by the selection of artifacts, some pre-historic and some from events during my lifetime. One of the first pieces we saw was a statue called “Marianne, The Goddess of Liberty.” This 18-foot figure was initially placed atop the Mobile County Courthouse in 1889. The information in the exhibit recounts how Marianne was damaged during a hurricane and put into storage. Years later, The Friends of the Museum had her (and her two lion companions) renovated, and now she stands as a central figure in the museum.
Museums are funny places if you think about it. The simple existence of the artifacts themselves does not necessarily merit their being designated as part of history. It isn’t their size or their monetary worth. What makes them “historical” are their stories. What’s the difference between a rusty revolver and a museum piece? Maybe who the owner was. What’s the difference between a slip of paper and the center of an exhibit? Probably what it says. A statue would be just a garden fixture, but it becomes important when put into the historical time. It becomes a marker. We will get back to markers in a minute.
Do you save notes? Greeting cards? I have a few: some from my parents, former students, specific friends. I certainly couldn’t keep all of the slips of paper I have received during my lifetime, but I have several special ones. I have a drawing done by one of my students who died in a car crash. It reminds me of her spark and personality. I have a collection of cards I received from thoughtful people when I was battling cancer. Even though they represent a hard time in my life, they also bring fond thoughts of friends and family who took the time to encourage me. None of these would be exciting museum exhibits, but they mean a great deal to me. Their stories are important to me.
Twenty-two Objects
The Mobile Museum of History currently has an exhibition called A History of Mobile in 22 Objects. I won’t give anything away. If you’re interested, you should stop by and enjoy it in person! The various objects include clothes, equipment, maps, and even a coffeepot! Think about your history, your story. Could you pick ten items that would represent your life? What would they be? You could do a photographic group, an object group, a playlist, or a combination of all of them. Would there be more good times represented? Or would the items show sadness and hurt? How many of them would remind you to be hopeful for the future?
This is from the Museum’s website as one of their Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: My item is not old or particularly unique. Do you still want it?
Not all donations need to document well-known people or momentous events in Mobile’s history. Common, everyday items can also be important, especially if the donor can tell us who used them and when they were used. Similarly, an item does not need to be an antique for it to be valuable to our collection. Items of recent vintage that may someday have an historic context could be of great importance to the future.
What things of “recent vintage” do you think would be of great importance to your story? You might include a hospital bracelet, a seashell, or even an unemployment check stub. Then again, while you may not keep these artifacts, you can journal about them. Write about them. Why? For a marker.
Jacob set up a pillar (memorial, monument) in the place where he had talked with God, a pillar of stone, and he poured a drink offering [of wine] on it; he also poured oil on it [to declare it sacred for God’s purpose].
Genesis 35:14 Amplified
Jacob (later called Israel) set up a marker to recognize that he had a powerful meeting with God. He knew it was an important event, and he wanted to remember it. Our markers should be reminders, especially of times when God intervened, blessed, or just held us.
Would a Bible be one of your artifacts? A church pew? A baptism certificate? Maybe, like me, you would need more than one Christian marker in your exhibit. I would probably use a Sunday School pin to symbolize my salvation as a child. Then, I would use my well-worn Bible to represent my rededication to serving the Lord as an adult. That doesn’t mean that everything in between is lost. But it means that these are important benchmarks, and both of them bless me.
God will pick us up after storms.
While some artifacts may represent good times and others represent bad times, most of the items can create a particular perspective. These items represent the idea that there is hope for better to come. The statue of Marianne herself represents all of the above. She was set on top of a building overlooking the city; she was damaged in a storm; she was brought out of the dark and restored. Woooo! Can you look back on your life and see a similar pattern? I can. Now she stands strong and beautiful as a reminder of overcoming. You may not have lion statues as your companions, but you have The Lion of Judah, the King of Kings! God will pick us up after storms and restore us, giving us a chance for another marker of hope.
People are wonderful for many reasons, but what makes you different is your story. The chorus to the old hymn Blessed Assurance says, “This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long.” Let’s remember to allow our praises to be markers. Let us say, “This represents a time that God did this for me.” I encourage you to spend some time with God talking about the markers in your life. If you were to designate 22 objects (or even 10) to represent your history, what would they be?
