Stamped

(by Lorie Codispoti)

When my husband, John, was a boy he collected stamps. His grandmother traveled around the world and would send him stamps from all the places she visited. Over the course of time he amassed quite a collection. But the thing that connected all of John’s stamps, no matter how varied they were, was his grandmother and the hand written letters that sealed their special relationship and gave them treasured memories.

The idea of pre-paying for a letter to be mailed took off when the first postage stamp was created in 1840. As the value of these little adhesive backed wonders began to increase so did the interest in collecting them. With subjects from Argentina to zebras, one can literally span the alphabet and never run out of interesting material to study. Did you know that you can even design and produce your own postage stamps? You have the ability to customize your stamp using photographs, your child’s artwork, or a symbol to communicate your passion; the possibilities are endless. Today, collectors of all ages and from around the world gather to trade, sell, and share stories of their mutual love for all things stamp related. 

Stamps also tell us something about the designer.

The Holy Bible remains the number one best selling book of all time. It is an anthology divided into two parts: the Old Testament (before the incarnation of Christ) and the New Testament (post Incarnation). Our sacred text comprises 66 books, written in three languages by 40 authors from three continents over the course of 2,000 years. Traditional versions are arranged in a logical order by topic (except for Genesis and Revelation which bookend the beginning and end of time), and chronological versions are arranged by epochs. And, according to BLB Institute, “The books were named after their subject matter, literary style, person or group addressed, or the name of the author.”

So why have I included this interesting bit of Bible trivia in a piece about stamp collecting? Well, it’s not only because I am a bit geeky about the subject, but because the history of this book points to the One who put His stamp of approval on every page within the collection. In ancient times, important documents were sealed with hot wax and stamped with the king’s signet ring. This not only provided authentication, but it elevated the importance and value of the document. Today, our unique signature serves as the identifier that authenticates things like important documents, letters, and artwork. (At this very moment the gallery door of my refrigerator is featuring, for a limited time only, creatively designed works of art signed by my grandchildren. Treasures, every one!)

There are many reasons why the Bible is the sacred text of Christianity, but the main reason that it’s more treasured than any other written work is because the King of all kings wrote this special love letter to tell us of His divine plan to redeem the world from the chaos caused by His arch enemy. The story begins and ends in a garden, and on every page we see the mark of a glorious and holy God who wants us to know who He is so that we will be drawn to love and worship Him.

What if?  

If John’s grandmother wrote to him about visiting every National Park in the United States, describing every detail of her experience, would she be able to fully capture and transfer the beauty and scope of her experience to him? If she sealed each letter with a photographed stamp that focused on each park’s defining feature, would his senses respond in the same way they would if he was standing next to her? No and no! But, what if her letters weren’t meant to be reports of her adventures, but rather, a form of preparation? What if she was preparing him for the day she surprises him and shows up at his doorstep, instructing him to pack his bags for a face to face adventure that will take him far beyond anything she described in her letters? Indeed, what if? 

I submit to you that our lives are a tiny little pixel, lived within the borders of our postage stamp world. While there is beauty to be discovered, it doesn't even compare to wonders we willl experience as we walk with God in the garden to come.  

We live in the tension between the “already” and the “not yet.” 

Listen to what Paul Tripp has to say about this in-between life: “Every one of God’s children lives between the “already” and the “not yet.” Already this world has been broken by sin, but not yet has it been made new again. Already Jesus has come, but not yet has he returned to take you home with him forever. Already your sin has been forgiven, but not yet have you been fully delivered from it. Already Jesus reigns, but not yet has his final kingdom come. Already sin has been defeated, but not yet has it been completely destroyed. Already the Holy Spirit has been given, but not yet have you been perfectly formed into the likeness of Jesus. Already God has given you his Word, but not yet has it totally transformed your life. Already you have been given grace, but not yet has that grace finished its work.” 

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed (stamped) with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Eph.1:13-14)

When the veil of eternity is lifted, and the King returns to restore His creation, will your name be among those written in The Book of Life? Only those who have been stamped by the blood of the Lamb will enter into the restored garden and eat from the Tree of Life. When we stand face to Face with our Redeemer He’s going to show us how the things He wrote about in His letter prepared us to enter into a paradise that is above anything we could ever think or imagine.