Over the past few years, more than any other time in my adult life, I have repeatedly experienced the pain of losing acquaintances and loved ones. Some at a ripe old age, others at what we perceived to be the prime of their lives and a few, gone way too soon. And even as I write this, a dear friend of the family whom I have known my entire life is being buried back home in Nigeria.
Grief sucks no doubt; but I have learned and continue to lean into the opportunity it presents me with - to reflect on how fleeting life is, and to heed similar reminders from Scripture [all from the ESV translation]:
"For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes" James 4:14b
"Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow" Psalm 144:4
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17
These verses, and others like it inspired the poem below about loss and the fleeting-ness of life, and I hope the questions at the tail end of the poem encourage you toward your own deep reflection, and intention setting toward a meaningful and productive life, by God's standards.
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Here today, gone tomorrow
Just as quickly as the breathtaking flower blooms
It’s petals soon wither away unexpectedly.
Just as quickly as the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange,
Is how swiftly the breath slips away as we transition in the blink of an eye
From here to eternity.
All the hustle and accomplishments fade away,
Moments spent fussing and stressing or chilling and basking
Now only just a memory.
And just like that we join the ranks of those captured in world history.
With these questions echoing down the halls of your journey...
How did your life matter?
To whom did you mean the world?
For what cause were you sold out to?
And the most important of ALL questions…
What did you hear your maker say when His eyes locked with yours in eternity’s hallway?
Selah.