Frame of Soul


I had a nice acquisition recently....a picture frame that had a photo of flags in it that had been in storage at work for a lot of years. I cared little for the pic. The frame looked nice. I had intentions. 

My grandfather from Germany (Opa to me) was an architectural draftsman with expertise in brewing and breweries. A decade or ago so my dad had uncovered a treasure trove of Opa's drawings from more than 50 years ago which were stashed away at the family cabin .

This drawing of the brewing process of his is a perfect fit in the frame. I was reminded that what is inside the frame is more important than the frame itself. Now, don't get me wrong. The frame is sweet. Solid, silver, and hefty. But, the drawing is what justifies and beautifies the frame. In an era where our culture is frame heavy (appearance, money, status, etc) it is good reminder that character matters. What is encased in the frame.

Jesus says something along the lines of "What shall it profit a man to gain the world but lose his soul?" A frame without a picture is like a person who has lost his/her soul. 

It now hangs in my kitchen and is pleasant memory of Opa. A man that was affected deeply by his experiences in the German Army of World War I and the trauma he had experienced, including his older brother being killed in battle.  He came to America in-between the World Wars, met my grandmother (Oma) and rebuilt his life. And built breweries (among other things).     

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