Life Is Short And Death Is Sure

The orange leaves rustle in the wind; unfixed they flutter to the ground. Yellow, red, orange, green and the artist splashes color against His canvas until the masterpiece is finished.  But, then again, it is never finished as Spring bursts forth life from the dreary cold of winter. Summer’s lush greens fight through a mixture of wet and dry until the earth, beaten and bruised, once again, stumbles into Fall.  Silently the leaves fall to the ground like the tears of a battered spouse.

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:20-22).

Rebecca took this picture. The vivid color is awe inspiring. But the colors reveal a process of life and death. Well, the tree doesn’t really die, it pulls back its nutrients in order to preserve its life during the cold winter months. There are two things in this picture. First, to survive in a hostile environment, you need to fall back to your core. We each have a set of core values, some written, most not. Our core values drive us into the ground or they lift us up to life. My core values come from the Bible: 1. To have a heart and passion for God and his glory, 2. To have a heart of prayer, 3. To have a heart for the Word of God, 4. To have a heart for service, 5. To have a heart for the lost. 6. To have a heart of Gratitude, 7. To have a heart of contentment, 8. To have a heart of integrity, 9. To have a heart for the family of God. These nine core values are the target, I don’t accomplish them all the time, but the goal remains true in the midst of my groaning.

The second point is that no matter how much we try and cheat the pain of a fallen world, two things remain true, “life is shorter than we realize, and death comes to all.” This sounds drab and tiring, but it’s not. If not for the groaning there would be no rejoicing, if not for the usual there wouldn’t be the fantastic. In the midst of our groaning we wait eagerly for our adoption and our redemption (not of our souls, but of our bodies). When Jesus returns we will see glory for what it truly is, for we will see Jesus face to face. Until then, we need to be about our Father’s business of calling the world to follow Jesus, and helping them grow into his image. We are part of the tapestry the artist is painting. 

So, we groan and wait eagerly, waiting for our adoption and redemption, not in sorrow but in victory, not in despair but in hope. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:37-39). I’m just saying...