There is a saying my mom uses when being introduced to a new born baby. Aside from the common, “Oh my, so beautiful,” she often adds, “brand new - with all new working parts!” Of course she is referring to the infant’s body, as she compares her worn-out frame. Heart procedures, a hip replacement, increase in medicines to keep her functioning properly; her body has been through a lot. Most elderly (and many not so elderly) have experienced the ailments that come with aging.
Then there comes a time when the body simply refuses to be maintained. The brain no longer holds new memories, bodily functions don’t always cooperate, and muscles lose their strength. Eventually, the heart simply cannot pump like it should. This is where my family sits with our mom. We are grateful that she is still with us, yet we are bracing ourselves for the inevitable. As she draws closer to the end of her physical life, her deterioration is increasing at a more rapid rate. Rather than see her suffer, we are praying for a quiet and restful passing - even though it means saying good-bye for now.
This new year, many are hoping for a better year than last. Although I know, at some point, it will include grieving for my mom, I do so, as well. No matter how great the year before, we always start a new year with the hope of a better one. This is the human condition. We are always hoping for better days ahead. We dream about the future, worry about the future, even plan for, the future. Yet, if we are truthful, we often fear looking too far ahead, to the end of life, and into eternity. To do so would mean facing something that is beyond our comprehension; something mysterious, unknown, and therefore better left to, well… the future.
The younger we are, the more “in-the-moment” we live. Infants are completely satisfied with the basics: being fed, being dry, being warm, being held. Watch a toddler at play; they sing and dance without reservation. Children notice they don’t always get “now,” what they want “now;” while teens and young adults often recklessly behave like their lives have no end. Young parents are so caught up in the busyness of life that the years fly by without too much notice; ‘til one day their babies are heading off on their own.
My father (whom we laid to rest three years ago) used to say, “The older you get, the faster time seems to pass.” He was so right! Eventually, we all find ourselves looking back at our quickly passing lives and wondering, among other things, “Have I really made a difference?” Call it a mid-life crisis, a time of reflection, or a spiritual awakening; it happens to us all, usually more than once. Whether a follower of Christ or not, we all face a time when we question our lives. This usually leads to looking beyond this life and into eternity. The good news is that it needn’t be frightening!
There is a verse in Psalm 90 that I landed on recently, "Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (vs. 12). It is part of a Psalm named, “A Prayer of Moses, The Man of God.”
When I read this verse, I immediately connected it to my dad’s recent passing, my mom’s failing health, my husband’s medical issues; and yes, my own awareness of time gone by. More importantly, it reminded me that the realization of the shortness of life allows us to grow in wisdom. But what is true wisdom? The Bible tells us:
“Fear [awe] of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.
Praise Him forever!” (Psalm 111:10).
God seeks to secure all our time. He lives in all time; in the past, in the here and now, and in the future. However, God is not only in eternity; He IS our eternity! God, our creator, has provided absolutely everything we need to be reunited to Him, that we may have life eternal in His holy presence. He created us in His image, with the need to love and be loved, with a set of morals to help us live righteously, and with a desire to worship Him. Unfortunately we often prefer power and control over love, would rather make our own rules (or think the rules don’t apply to us), and we are so good at finding other things to worship.
God gave us His One and Only Son, Jesus, who led by righteous example, and paid the ransom for all our sin with His life. Dying for our freedom, Jesus conquered death and arose to rule His Father’s Kingdom. After all that, we often refuse to recognize His authority. The authority He proved with His own blood. Even if we call Him Savior, we often forget that He is also Lord, not only of eternity, but in all time – including this present age.
If we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God gives us His Holy Spirit; the Wonderful Counselor to guide us through life. But, instead of listening to His voice, we are like children - running ahead, fixated on something shiny. We often miss His blessings while chasing our own desires. We think we know what we need to be happy, only to find our goals turning to dust if we reach them.
After all that, and so much more; God still calls to us, still woos us, still loves us with a passion. He waits, He listens and He continues to share every moment of our lives, whether we want Him to, or not. He is always with us, offering that better future we ask for each year. A glorious eternity filled with joy, peace, and love – an eternity with Him starting right now!
Moses understood. He started his prayer (Psalm 90) with these words:
“Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!
Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God” (vs. 1-2).
What a beautiful truth! God is! He is from beginning to end, and He wants to be our home. If we so choose, God will be our home now and forevermore! We need not look far. God is already with us. He is ready to not only forgive our past, secure our future, and offer us eternal life; but to share in His love, joy, and peace during this life.
When we accept salvation through Jesus, we don’t need to worry about eternity. We can live more in the moment again, as children – God’s children! We don’t need to spend time looking back at what we did or didn’t do. Not only do we start anew, we ourselves are made new. Made new, not to continue life in the same manner, but to live life as God intended, where are actions make an eternal difference.
If we are indeed made new through Jesus, why should we start each new year by singing a song about the past?! I would rather sing the words that Moses prayed, the words that end Psalm 90:
“Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.
And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!” (verses 14-17).
Join me this new year in (re)discovering our true home. A home in God, through Jesus, and by His Holy Spirit. Let us choose to make this year the start of our best years ever; reading God’s word, listening for His voice, watching for His work in our lives, and praying our children see His glory. Then God will show His approval and He will make our efforts successful. Let us praise Him every morning for His unfailing love, seek Him each hour of the day, so we may walk in His ways. In return He will give us His peace, fill us with His joy and assure our eternity. Our desires will become His desires, our goals will become what He wants us to achieve, and our eternal life will come into focus. Instead of something unknown and frightening, we will see its beauty. Then, as we reach the end of our lives, we will sing for joy, and we will be ready, even eager, to enter eternity with our gracious God.