Life is Fragile

When I came to the farm over a decade ago, ten years forward seemed like a long time, and maybe it is.  But as I stand now ten years later looking at the next ten years, it does not seem nearly as long and it does not show itself with the same certainty it did ten years ago.  Though I have made a living preaching, I must confess to not remembering too many of my sermons and even fewer of the ones I heard.  As one who has always believed preaching to be supremely important, it is a strange admission.     

One of those heard sermons still remembered was preached by Bishop Cannon back in the day when I was pastor at the Talbotton Church.  The Bishop came a preaching on a very special day in the life of this church.  The theme of his sermon was simple, "Life is fragile."  I have long ago forgotten the sermon craft and the text which held it together, but the simple message has stayed with me for a life time.  Perhaps, such is all any preacher could hope for a few of the many sermons preached.    

Of course, back in the day of the sermon I was approaching thirty years of age which made life a whole lot less fragile than it does as I stand at a point beyond seventy years old.  It is too bad we cannot go back and put some of the old man wisdom in the young man's mind, but then such is not how life is lived.  There are many teachers.  The Word is one as is the Spirit.  And there have been a thousand like me who have taught lessons I did not always heed.  Experience has been a faithful, if not sometimes hard teacher.  One thing finally learned, at least on most days, is what Bishop Cannon preached long ago, "Life is fragile."