Fleeting beauty of my garden peoniesThe voice said, “Cry out!”
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Isaiah 40:6-8
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Isaiah 40:6-8
I had chosen this picture and scripture for today but did not have time to post it before we went to church. Our youth pastor spoke this morning on "leaving a mark", not of material possessions but of the difference we make in the lives of others. He used this quote from Billy Graham.
“Our days are numbered... The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”
My life, in the light of eternity, is as fleeting as the peonies in my garden. I am challenged to look beyond personal gratification to seeing the importance of investing in the lives of people I meet every day.
“Our days are numbered... The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”
My life, in the light of eternity, is as fleeting as the peonies in my garden. I am challenged to look beyond personal gratification to seeing the importance of investing in the lives of people I meet every day.
The Isaiah text is what Brahms used for his marvelous German Requiem. It is a solemn piece--the English translation: "Behold, all flesh is as the grass"--the choir singing and the orchestra solemnly playing and the kettle drum playing DUM DUM. Sort of underscores the temporality of life, and the reminder that we are small. But we can do what we can to contribute.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ruth, for this reminder of what we can do for others. This is a good message for me to remember every day.
ReplyDeleteA very thought-provoking post, Ruth. So much wisdom. It's always to neat to see the comments that some posts elicit. Donna's information, above, adds another interesting facet.
ReplyDeleteI nice trigger for reflection. What can I do to make a difference? I'll remember to think about it.
ReplyDeleteDonna- Thanks for the interesting comment. I will have to listen to that piece. Things I miss not knowing the German language...
ReplyDeleteRuthieJ- I write these things because I need to practice them and remember them each day.
Cathy- I do learn from comments, on this blog and others. IT is so easy to get caught up in the mundane things of each day and miss the big picture.
Mary- You reach out to people, as do most of the bloggers that I read. There are all kinds of ways to make a difference.