Survival Tool - Building a memory library
Monday, March 30, 2009 at 12:50PM Held hostage for 1,967 days in the Columbian jungle.
The plane that was carrying the three American contract workers crashed in the dense jungles of Columbia. Surviving the crash was only the beginning of what was to come. Tom, Marc and Keith (and their pilot and Columbian co-worker) immediately found themselves in a hot zone ruled by the FARC -- a notorious terrorist organization known for kidnappings, drug trafficking, hostage-taking, and murdering innocent civilians.
The FARC quickly swarmed out of the jungle towards the crumpled aircraft -- beginning Day One of a five-year plus captivity for the three men in the jungles of Columbia. (The pilot and the Columbian on board with the three were immediately separated from the group. Later, news reached the three Americans that their friends had been executed by the FARC.)
In order to cope with the dehumanizing madness of captivity, one of the American contractor hostages created what he called a "library of memories," a virtual collection of moments and recollections of his family back home, childhood memories, and pre-captivity life. The FARC guerrillas could take away his freedom of movement, institute 40-day forced marches, put him in chains, or refuse him the right to empty his bowels in private, but they could not take away what was inside his head. That "library of memories" was a virtual room he could walk into at any moment and pull a memory off the shelf.
As I read their account, I was struck by how helpful this could be during moments or chapters of spiritual disorientation: those times where God seems cruel or absent, and appears to be markedly silent; when what I hope for feels like it will never come. So I created my own library of memories. The "spines" on some of my titles read:
- Lynn -- Here She Is, Jim.
- Olivia & Nate: Gifts
- Rafting Rescue
- Chosen -- Len Sweet
- Peterborough Confirmed
- Dwight's Endorsement
When I forget the history of God's compassionate intervention in my life, I go to my library and pull off a title from the shelf.
What book titles would be in your "library of memories?"
Reader Comments (2)
Oh Wow Jim,
I just started reading this book myself. I am only through one chapter, but I like it a lot so far. Now I can't wait to read the rest!
Meredith
Hey Meredith. It's a hard book to read, in that it brings you into the very, very long captivity they experienced. I'm almost done with it and find myself wanting to finish it just so they can get out of the stinkin' jungle!