"Number Our Days..."

Friends: “Number Our Days….”

I just got back from the heated cesspool of the largest city in Georgia…you know the place…and just in time, too, since the temperature up there is projected to be 100 degrees today. It’s a special place for me to go and exercise my mining permit…digging for mammon…though some would call it filthy lucre, but since I’m an Environmentalist it still looks green to me. I get somewhat spiritual when I’m up there, since I’m always thankful for being able to get back here on the coast where it’s friendly to life…and Biblical references come poring out of my mind. Two came forth today, the first probably prompted by the searing heat of Dog Days:

“For all flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man like the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and its flower falleth away…etc.” 1 Peter 1:24

There seems to be a lot of grass that’s withering and flowers falling away in this heat and drought, especially if you use these terms metaphorically…whole subdivisions being foreclosed, condo projects lacking financing, bank loans being called in droves…developers forgot that what goes up, comes down faster!

And the other:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Psalms 90:24

I particularly like this one, since it reminds me that every day counts, more to some than to others…and in the 45 minutes it took to get back down here, I had time to calculate some things. Consider this: My dad died in his 27,542nd day, and I have his genes. Since I’m better looking than he was, I may live longer, but not making that assumption, I will have 27,542 days, too. Now I have already lived 23,883 days. That alone causes me to shutter, thinking of what fabulous opportunities that have crossed my path, the great blessings of family, health and friends (yes, I do have a few left, thank you !) and the dreams I still have that continue to energize me…but shocking to see really how little I have really achieved having had these benefits.

Of course the real shocker is this: Based on my above assumption, I have only 3,659 days remaining to get it all done (whatever that might be, and to start with figure out just who or what I want to be!)…no wonder I seem stressed out to you! Go further: What remains is about 10.02 years, some 120 months, a little over 552 weeks, 87,816 hours, 5,268,960 minutes and finally, 316,137,600 seconds…the math may be a little off, but the concept is stark!…

So, what better advice can I give you than these two great Scripture verses…do the math on yourself, and if you don’t get focused, your blood is on your own hands!


Bud
August 9, 2007