I don’t know a single adult who likes aging. Children want to be older than they are now, but adults – not so much. As if the aches and pains of aging weren’t enough, there’s the simple fact that I am getting closer to the day when I will pass from this earth. I want to live with Jesus for eternity as believers in Jesus are promised, but I also want to live to see my 5 grandlittles grow up at least a little more and hopefully get married and have my great-grandlittles. Additionally, I still have things I would like to accomplish, too. I guess it’s like the song I’ve heard of: “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die.”
Although thinking about such things is pretty common when a person gets to my age bracket or above, but the absolute fact is that when we are born, with each passing day we are one day closer to the day when our earthly life will end. I was specifically reminded of that fact today when I met a woman who told me that her 25 year old daughter-in-law had passed away a few months ago due to Covid-19 just after giving birth to her 2nd child, a daughter.
As she said to me after she shared this, “We realize that none of us knows how many days we will have when we come into this life.”
Psalm 144:4 – The VOICE Translation: Humans are like a passing breath; their time on earth is like a shadow that passes over us during the day and soon is gone.
All these things combine to remind me of how precious each and every day truly is – with blessings to be thankful for and battles to be waged against temptations large and small, especially the temptation to think of myself before others.
Father God, help me to remember that each day is a gift from You. Help me to seek You in the midst of wherever I am and whatever I am doing and to see You in the people and the moments of my days. Keep me awake to Your working around me and within me and may I never overlook the ways in which You are revealing Yourself in and through other people. May my life be an example of Your love and grace poured out. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.