Life is Fragile

Long years ago while at the Talbotton Church, the church celebrated its sesquicentennial  (150 years).  It was quite a celebration for this small town church in west Georgia.  A historical marker was put in place, a special Sunday service was held, and Bishop Cannon came to preach.  It is a preaching moment I have never forgotten.  Before preaching his sermon, he told us that the Lord had given him the message and he was saving it for some big event like Annual Conference.  He went on to say he felt that the Lord was telling him to preach it at Talbotton instead of at another time.  Finally, he preached the sermon and to this day, I carry it like a word for living that must not be forgotten.  The Bishop's sermon on that day simply hammered home the theme, "Life is fragile."    

A thousand time or more I have seen the Bishop's sermon illustrated in my life and in the lives of people who journey with me.  Too many times we count on the  things of tomorrow as if they come with a guarantee.  The Apostle James spoke a word which said, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow  we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business , and making money.'  Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.' "  (James 4:13-15)   

This is not to say that planning is a waste of time.  Planning helps us accomplish things which are important to us and they have a way of keeping us moving in a useful and productive direction.  As we make our plans it is good to remember the words of the poet, Robert Burns, "The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry."  It is also good to remember that life is fragile and prone to all kinds of interruptions which may be nothing more than God making a course correction.