“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is.” Psalm 39:4 NLT

“I am here on earth for just a little while….” Psalm 119:19a GNT

“There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4.18 MSG

Day 6 of 40: Last night I watched a TV show where a patient was being given anesthesia before having surgery… the patient died.

The scene brought back recent memories of receiving anesthesia myself before surgery… I could have died. I think the experience was a lot easier on me than for Barbara sitting and waiting without knowing the outcome.

Some folks worry a lot about when Jesus will come back to us (second coming) and forget that we might go home to Him first. Our lives are fragile and temporary.

I never thought of pastorates as being temporary assignments until I became an interim pastor. But, of course, all work, jobs, careers are temporary. Life goes on after we leave and, like footprints in the sand, we are forgotten. Unless we get someone to name a building after us. Then people wonder: “Who was that guy?”

Today’s question is “How does being a sojourner on this earth change how I live right now? Here’s some thoughts –

• I’m not accumulating much stuff these days – Starbucks city mugs excepted.
• I have a greater sense of urgency about using my time, energy and resources to further God’s Kingdom purposes.
• Over the years I’ve asked myself: “What’s to become of me?” Now I know.
• My attention has shifted away from politics… although I still yell at the TV.
• I’m thinking small, rather than big.
• And I’m looking for opportunities to “reach one more for Jesus”… that’s something that will last forever.

My song:

“[God] has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”
Matthew 25.23 NLT

Day 4 of 40: I’m writing this at the auto repair shop. This is one of several visits over the last couple of weeks since our “brush with death” accident in Florida.

Our car spun off the road during heavy rain and into a ditch… and, by God’s grace, a “soft” collision. There was $6000 worth of damage and we had some bumps and bruises… but we walked away… wondering “What was that all about?”

So… eternity has been on my mind.

Over the years I have been working for that eternal “well done.” I’ve tried to make the most of what I’ve been given, thought of myself as a steward, multiplied investments at every level, and generally left things better than I found them.

And eternity is on my heart and mind right now. I’ve cut back on a lot of activities that have no eternal value as far as I can see. I’ve eliminated a lot of stress – “spin outs” excepted – and live a pretty simple life. So I’m ready to place myself at God’s disposal… again.

The question of the day is: In light of eternity, what one one thing should I stop/start doing? Fair enough.

My best answer right now – stop thinking about myself (how I can use my gifts, experience, etc)… and start thinking about others (how can I help the people around me).

God may place something else on my heart… but for now, that’s a start.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
Isaiah 26:3 NLT

“A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.”
Proverbs 13:7 MSG

Day 3 of 40: My life right now is pretty “plain and simple” but it doesn’t feel very full.

The driving principle of my life has changed over the years. BC – it was all about me… success, money. I can remember riding my motorcycle through Beverly Hills thinking “one day one of these houses will be mine.” At the time, I was out of work, a stranger in a strange land – Southern California.

AD – it was about bringing people into a living relationship with Christ. But it was also about “competence.”

My personality tests out as an INTJ (Myers Briggs) and people like me (there’s not a lot of us, only 1-2% of the population) value competence highly. We do not “suffer fools gladly” (2 Cor 11.19 KJV) And we do not make friends easily. We are “visionary leaders” – sometimes others catch the vision, and sometimes they don’t. We can accomplish great things, but we can also be pushy, driven, proud, stubborn and insensitive. Is it any wonder we don’t have huge Facebook followings?

We also learn from our mistakes, so that by the time I neared retirement… I was reasonably competent and the last couple of years of ministry were highly successful – as measured by changed lives and commitments to Christ.

But that was then and this is now. I’m retired and life has moved on. My life was never “pretentious and showy” (with one exception I can think of), nor has it ever been more “simple.” But I’m not feeling very fulfilled either.

That’s why I’m re-reading the Purpose Driven Life. I’m seeking that promised place of “perfect peace” for those who trust God. And writing this blog is an opportunity to process it all.

“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.” Isaiah 44:2 CEV

“Since the day you were born, I have carried you along. I will still be the same when you are old and gray, and I will take care of you. I created you. I will carry you and always keep you safe.” Isaiah 46.3-4 CEV

Day 2 of 40: Today’s reading gets real personal, real fast – because I am an unplanned, adopted child. Or… as one callous, insensitive, pro-abortion moron coined it… “an accident.” (But that’s a story for another time.)

Growing up, I never really felt that I fit into my adopted family… my birth origins were kept a family secret (even from me until I was 7 and a neighbor kid told me)… not to be shared outside the family. It was a source of embarrassment? shame? I don’t know what? Except… I kept quiet about it.

It wasn’t until I became a Christian that I had a sense of family identity and heritage. I was made in the image of God… and God knew me and shaped me even before I was born. My family tree included people like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… Peter, James and John… Luther, Calvin, Knox. I was in good company.

My birth origins and daily life were all in God’s hands and I tried to live that out over the years as best I knew how… with a lot of grace thrown in.

But now it’s the “old and gray” part that I’m trying to understand. I’m not able to do the things I did before as I worked out God’s purpose for my life… so what now?

In Isaiah 46:3-4, God seems to be saying to me, “Don’t worry about it.” “I created you. I will carry you and always keep you safe.” I guess safety also includes purposeful living… even at my age.