A Heart of Wisdom

Today, I am deeply grateful for those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. So many people benefit from your giving!

Many years ago, I heard a part of Billy Graham’s 1998 TED talk. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and it refers to conferences that host inspiring speakers in these fields from all over the world. In any case, Billy Graham spoke about questions he often received from University students – questions about life and death and morality and faith. He related that one student asked him, “What has been your biggest surprise in life?” He answered, “My biggest surprise in life: is its brevity.”

It is true that when we’re young we seem immortal and invincible. It feels as though life will continue on indefinitely. But as we mature and age, we quickly realize how fleeting it is. The Psalmist reminds us that our days are like a breath (Psalm 39 and 144).

When we remember that we are here for only a short time, it raises both the questions of eternity and of what we are leaving behind. Have we made contributions toward making this world a better place? Will the people around us know our love for them? Have we accepted God’s grace and love for us? And is that making a difference in how we live?

Psalm 90 prays: Teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

My friend Roger Kunkel used to say, “Today is an unrepeatable miracle.” There will never be another one like it! “Let’s make it a masterpiece.”

Let us pray: Loving and Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of life and for your unconditional love for us. Help us to accept both gifts and then live in light of both. Amen.