"You do not even know what tomorrow will
bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that
appear for a little while and then vanishes."
James 4:14
Somewhere, far back in my life, somebody came up to me one day and asked me a strange question: "Why is a duck?" Weird question, I thought. I tried to think of some logical answer and there just seemed to be no answer. So, I looked back at my friend, a quizzical look on my face, and said, "Well, why IS a duck? His answer, "Because."
Well, if you think that is a strange question, think of all those you've asked yourself and couldn't come up with an answer.Especially when it is a question why things happen to some people - or, for that matter why things happen to you. Especially when the questions relate to life. Why do some people go through life enduring pain? Why do bad things happen to good people and sometimes bad people seem to get off Scott free? Why do some people die too young?
I'm reminded of a very good friend of mine from sixty years ago. He was tall and gangly, a really fun guy to be around. We bowled candle pins together in a Massachusetts bowling lead. It's a tricky game - ten skinny pins and three shots with small bowling balls and pins that are knocked down are left to be played with standing pins. Very tricky - and you are lucky to have an average of 110 or so. I made a lot of misses and so did my friend. And when he made a miss he wrinkled up his face in a wry grin and say, "No luck" It was that way one Tuesday night - and on Wednesday morning at work he didn't come in. He had died in the middle of the night. Why him - a young active guy in good health? Why?
Life is filled with whys that seem to have no answers. Why does something bad seem to happen to a good person? Why did I have colon cancer and survive 30 years when a guy down the hall not make it? Was I better than him? I doubt it. Why did so many innocent people die on 9/11? Was it their fault they were where they were, or was it intended for them to die? There have been fatalists (I think of men in wars past) who have said "I'm not going to think about it - there's likely a bullet meant just for me - when my time comes, my time comes."
I'd rather think of life in terms of living life to the fullest. Not thinking about death, and not worrying that much about tomorrow. Worry is like a cancer - it eats at you from the inside out. On the other hand, at my ripe age in the eighties, I'm just glad to be able to get out of bed in the morning and realize that God has given me at least one more day to do something that makes life better. I pray that God will open some kind of a door for me to move a few more inches in life and thank Him for all the doors he's opened over the years.
That's not to say that there haven't been life challenges. Family. Work. Health. But a simple faith has always seen response. God has answered prayers. Not necessarily the way I expected but always offering strength for the next day. Sometimes with opportunities. Sometimes with joy. Sometimes with peace during pain. Certainly with assurance when I felt it impossible to cope with frustrations and doubts. No matter what, God is.
Lord, God:
remind me that I am loved
and that you are my strength and
support in all my days.
AMEN
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