We all know life is short. We know at any moment we could get that call. That call that changes our lives. That call that freezes time and flashes a rerun. That call that the thing you knew- the thing you saw happen to other people is now your reality. A diagnosis that drops your knees in prayer, your eyes to swell with tears, and your heart to ache.
Life is short. No one knows when their end will come or how many times they will experience a close call.
Life is but a vapor. We know it. Yet how often do we live like it? What does it mean, what does it look like to live in the reality of a short, purposeful, precious life? To hold but only loosely. A hymn comes to mind we sang in church when I was a kid, “ready to go, ready to stay, ready to do His will.”
To live ready.
Just last week my dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The message that made my heart jump inside my chest.
While I know my dad is at peace with God it still feels too soon. Too soon for a scary diagnosis. Too soon to watch him struggle with treatments. Too soon to see the reality that life is fragile.
As a little girl, my dad was my hero. He was strong, capable of fixing anything, steady, and humorous. He made me feel safe and secure. He made me laugh and showed me the value of caring about people. He seemed invincible in my innocent eyes.
Growing up our parents seem strong, invincible, and wise. They know so much that we don’t. Their lives are seasoned with experience.
As we become adults ourselves we see how little is known. We see that everyone has needs and is vulnerable. Everyone is just trying their best to walk in this life of up and down.
As we grow we see the effects of ageing. We know it happens. We know in our hearts that our parents are growing older and so are we.
No one is invincible. No one has it all together. No one is a superhero.
However, we have a superhero God. A God of comfort in times of ageing and scary diagnosis. A God of steady and constant in a time of suffering and pain. A God of peace in a time of heartbreaking news.
My dad is still my hero. My dad is still a man I look up to and respect for his work ethic, love for others, and his steady demeanor. My dad will always hold that place in my heart however I have come to realize the only superhero, the only Savior is my heavenly Father. The One who has laid down His life and suffered all for our fragile, needy, vulnerable selves.
1 Peter 4:19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. NLT
1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. NLT
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. NKJV
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. NIV
