This biblical truth was on my mind as I stood by while a committed believer and member of our church was breathing. He is in hospice care after a 8 year battle with bone cancer (the doctors gave him 3-5 years). The doctors expect him to pass away at any moment. As of yesterday, he was sleeping but his breathing was strong. As I stood there with the family, there were moments when we just watched and listened to him breathe. In those moments, I thought of the brevity of life. Earlier, I had a car malfunction, and realized how close I was to a major car accident (no guarantees of another day of life, even if we are cancer free). I thnk of my age, and although many would call me young, I realize how quickly life is passing; and how quickly it might be over.
My intention in writing this and contemplating on it is not to dive into discouragement and despair. Instead, I want to turn these thoughts into opportunities for praise and intentional growth. Because life is vapor and we are breath away from eternity, I am reminded that the Scriptures are true. This life is temporal and the only things that last are the treasures that are laid in Heaven.
I am grateful for te life and blessings God has given me. I know that much of my time is spent investing in temporal things. What I learned from yesterday is that I need to be recomitted, with whatever time I have left, to invest in people, since they will last forever; and in what God has called me to do in this short life.
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Yes, I find that I need to be reminded almost daily that life is short, really. Great post, Greg. I've thought about death and the brevity of life quite a lot over the past 2 years. It all started when I turned 40. As of late, I try to turn my thoughts from life's brevity to a joyful consideration of the hope of a "new heavens and earth" that has been secured for me through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Life is short but my future life will be without end as I live on the renewed earth, which will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. That seems to help free me from the tyranny of temporal things ("I must enjoy this, have this, do this, see this, experience this now!") to invest myself in what will last, people.
Thanks for the important reminder.
I will pray for this family as they stand so very close to eternity right now.
Dan
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