Psalm 103 NLT
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! (13-18)
As I get older and realize I have fewer days in front of me than are behind me, I am reminded of the transience of life and how quickly time flies. David was right when he said that “we bloom and die; the wind blows and we are gone as though we had never been here.” Wow… what a depressing statement. If you let your mind follow that rabbit trail it just leads to despair. It is so very true, but it is only half the story. David goes on to remind us that the love of the Lord remains forever. History is not about us or what we have done—it is about Him and what He is doing in us and in the world.
It is hard for me to think that I have given the best years of my life to a calling and a continent that will likely forget me rather quickly. If you are like me, you want to do something that lasts; something that changes the world and makes it a better place. God is all about that too. He is in the reformation business, and He changes things for His glory. This is what makes God so amazing. He knows how weak we are and he remembers that we are only dust. In the big scheme of things, our life is just vapor or a blip on the screen of time. Yet, God uses flowers like us, that bloom today and are gone tomorrow, to change the world.
God’s glory is evident in how He does something through me, through you, and through billions of other flowers throughout history that have bloomed, died, and vanished with the wind. The sum total of that work is what moves His kingdom forward. Do you see the promise there? His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful. I don’t get lost in the transience of my life and the questions of whether I have “done enough.” I lean into the fact that my legacy doesn’t end with me. It extends to my kids and even to my grandkids. When I look at my grandson Sam, I am reminded that by God’s grace my story will continue long after I am gone and the world has forgotten all about me.
