From July 14th through July 30th, I conducted or officiated at three funerals and two weddings. One of the funerals was for a tiny baby that died when she was only two days old. Another funeral was for an older man who lived two days shy of 91 years. And the third was for a gentleman whose life was pretty wild when he was younger, but who dramatically changed once he found Jesus. In addition, I remember when both the brides in the weddings were born and I watched them grow from cute, little girls into beautiful, young women. In fact, I did the wedding for the one bride's parents 32 years ago.
Birth, marriage, and death. The Psalmist hit the nail on the head when he said that our lifetime is but a moment to God (39:5). James describes our life as a fog (mist) that is here but a short while before quickly leaving (4:14). We spend far too much time living in the moment, and not enough time living in the future. Should we be mindful of how we spend our time in the here and now? Of course! Most definitely! God has given each of us the precious gift of life, and each of us will be accountable as to how wisely we utilized the lives, the talents, the friends, the jobs, the opportunities, and more that God placed before us with which to bring Him glory. But, I believe that if we focused more on the future, it would have a huge impact on how we live in the present. I believe that if we were living with an eye on eternity, it would greatly enhance our lives on earth. This world is not our home. Death reminds us of that truth. We can ignore that reality in our lives and pretend it won't happen to us, but the funeral of someone we know and love, reminds us that we are all mortal. So, "fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (II Cor. 4:18). Moses knew that truth and it greatly affected his daily life and his walk with the Lord (Hebrews 11:25-27; Numbers 12:3; Exodus 33:11).
I'm not sure who first said this, but it is very true for all of us: "Every person God puts into our lives, and every experience He gives us is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see." With every conversation we are involved in, every decision we make, and every action we choose to do, we are building a legacy. God uses the good people AND the bad people, the wonderful experiences AND the not-so-wonderful experiences to shape us and mold us into a vessel that can be used for His glory. We must decide whether we will be a vessel God can use, or whether we will waste and squander the opportunities He has placed before us. Choose wisely! Life goes by rather quickly!