Vapor Trails

My wife and I had the opportunity yesterday evening to attend a wake for a close friend’s family member.  I had never met the matronly grandmother, but certainly feel as if I got a sense of who she was through the legacy of her children and grandchildren.  After leaving the funeral home, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own contributions to this life and contemplate the pace at which we all run.

I look at so many of the obsurd things we do as people that seem too important to ignore in our daily efforts.  We assign some type of devastating effect if we don’t complete our tasks… but is it all really worth it?

Many of us have heard the story of the preacher who sat at the bedsides of hundreds of dying men over his career and never once heard a single utterance: “if I could have only spent one more day at the office” or “if I could have only made Senior VP”.  In the grand scheme of life, none of this stuff matters.

My favorite writer in the Bible, James, wrote the following in the 4th chapter of his letter to you and me:

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

I would recommend that we all take a look at James 4 and post it on our mirrors as a daily reminder of what it means to be a child of God.  It’s a stark look at priorities.

We are but a mist, a vapor, a blink, or a blip on the span of time.  It seems that we spend the bulk of our time trying to please others rather than living a life pleasing to God.  In those pursuits to climb higher, run faster, become bigger, and outdo each other we make some pretty stupid mistakes and then blame God for not blessing us on our journey.  So our pattern of life ends up in failure and we point a finger and blame God… and He still loves us in spite of ourselves. Whew.

Regardless of the length of time we spend on this planet, God has ordained a purpose for each of us.  The Psalmist writes in chapter 139 about how our Heavenly Father knew us before the creation of this wonderful place we call home, and He has a plan for each of us.  We are totally capable of making a mess out of our lives, but the joy of life comes in cutting out the foolishness and aligning our lives with God’s sole provision for us.

Whether we live 1 day or 100 years, God’s plan for each of us is perfect.  We start out as children unaware that there is an alternate path and remain in His care, but as adults we try our own roads… and find that they all lead to frustration, despair, and pointless behavior.  My prayer is that we all find His peace before we breathe our last breath.

If I am allowed to live a full, long life – I’m sure I will spend time reflecting on how I “used to have the world by the tail” but in the end it really won’t matter at all if I don’t have God’s peace and love others.  The amount of my accomplishments will fade into a vapor trail and disappear with the only lasting affect being the legacy I leave in the hearts of my family.

We are all leaving vapor trails as we jet through this life…may we remember that our accomplishments will fade, disappear, and no trace will be left for contemplation.  The only lasting impact we can offer is our faith in God, our contentment in God’s provisions, and the love we have for one another.

Back off the throttle, enjoy the ride, and celebrate the life that you have today.  Know that God knew you before your first heartbeat, and the Love we give one another is the accomplishment of God’s plan.

Grace and Peace,
Greg Arnold
Acts 4:31

About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.