“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Proverbs 90:12
Mark 8:36
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
James 4:14
We take our garbage to the local dump every week. Yes, I know it costs relatively little to have a company send a truck and make our garbage disappear. But I am sure I would miss the opportunity to engage in small talk with the locals and take in the sights, sounds, and smells that are the local transfer station.
My teenage son willingly hops in the truck to go with me. He has been trained to do this, because he knows that a trip to the dump means driving through the local fast-food restaurant. This adventure gives me 45 minutes every Saturday to talk and laugh and listen to this “little boy” who is quickly shedding both of those descriptions.
Our route to the dump takes us by the local cemetery. Every time we drive by, we see signs that tell us a family has recently said goodbye to someone they love, someone who lived for a brief time on this earth before returning to it again. I am always reminded that those laid to rest were also doing every day mundane chores, not knowing it would be the last time. Who knew a trip to the dump would be a reminder of my own mortality, the preciousness of life and focusing on what really matters?
I shared my thoughts with my son as we drove past the cemetery, and he responded with “Yeah.” After a moment of awkward silence, he pointed out, “Wow! That kind of brought the mood down.” I guess he’s right, but I am grateful. I’m grateful for the time with my Son, grateful for this one beautiful life we have been given, and grateful for the visual reminder to live this life until it is all used up, wrung dry and made fit for the life to come.
Mary Oliver
