TONY ELDER: Life is short draw closer to Jesus while you can

This is the one time of year when my yard might get noticed for a positive reason.

Most of the time the landscape on our property is fairly forgettable. I dont have one of those lush well-manicured lawns with sculptured flowering shrubbery the kind that gets its picture in the newspaper as yard of the month.

My lawn consists of more weeds and bare spots than grass. Although we do have some azaleas and gardenias scattered around, theyre not as abundant and beautiful as those in neighboring yards.

But about this time each year our front yard bursts with beauty due to the blossoms on our two cherry trees. Our neighbors Bradford pear deciding to put forth its blooms at the same time this year just across our driveway adds to the scene.

It looks beautiful, but only for a very short time. Often it only lasts about a week, depending on how the wind blows and the rain falls. Very quickly those blossoms will fade and fall off, revealing the green leaves which will endure until the fall season. By the time you read this, I wouldnt be surprised if my yard will be back to its normal drab condition, along with a plethora of dying cherry blossoms strewn on the ground.

The Bible reminds us that our time here on earth is similar. As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone (Psalm 103:15). While some might consider this a rather somber thought, it can serve as a needed reality check for many of us.

Its helpful for us to remember that life is short. Our time to blossom and flourish comes and goes all too quickly. Without that perspective, we can deceive ourselves into wasting or misusing what we do possess of this precious commodity we call time.

Therefore, there are those who will trumpet the call of carpe diem, or seize the day. Both within and without the context of Christianity, people tell us to make the most of todays opportunities and grab all the gusto you can get.

Theres certainly some truth in those statements. Life is short, so dont procrastinate and dont miss out on all the good you can do and enjoy today. Make that phone call, send that note, carry out that act of kindness, tell that person how much you care about him, share that truth do whatever it is you really need to do while you still have opportunity to do so.

However, lets not mistake this truth as simply inspiration to hurry up and do whatever will bring us pleasure. The shortness of life should remind us that we need to be giving priority to those things which will matter most in the long run, especially those which will make a difference for eternity.

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TONY ELDER: Life is short draw closer to Jesus while you can