Today I turn 37. Hardly a milestone birthday (I’m three years away from another one of those) but always is it a special occasion for me. It’s the one day a year I am almost guaranteed to take off from work to enjoy. And by “enjoy,” I mean “do absolutely nothing.” If you’re reading this today I’m probably in my recliner right now, either watching a movie or playing Nintendo.
Please don’t call me.
With every year that passes the perceived length of time between each birthday shrinks. I know this is not new info to anyone, but it’s worth saying: When you turn one year old, the space between the day of your birth and the day of your first birthday party is 1:1. You’ve lived a year and you’re a year old. When you turn five, the space between your fourth and fifth birthdays will amount to 1/5th of your life. That’s a long time, and thus the space between your birthdays feels like a long time. But when you go from nineteen to twenty years old, that gap between birthdays accounts for only 1/20th of your life. That’s not as much of a percentage and thus the space feels shorter.
I feel like I just had a birthday. I remember the details, I remember the cake, I remember doing nothing all day, etc. It was a year ago, but I’m 37 years old now; a year is just 1/37th of my life. That’s not much, and that fraction will get smaller and smaller as I age.
Boy this is getting existential.
I say all that to say this: You’ve probably heard the expression “life is a marathon, not a sprint.” I beg to differ: Life is a sprint. Life is short. Life is here for a little while and then *poof* it is gone. Listen to James:
what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
James 4:14b
When people say life is a marathon, they’re usually trying to get people to slow down, to stop and smell the roses, to avoid burning the proverbial candle at both ends, or to stop living so recklessly that their lives are cut short earlier than anticipated. I can appreciate that. Nevertheless, life is short, and it behooves us to make the most of it. I’m not talking about jet-skiing or skydiving (which are fine for thrill-seeking nuts); I’m talking about making the most of the short time you have in this world by accomplishing the will of God, making a difference, and serving the world around you.
Life is a sprint; it’ll be over before you know it. What kind of spiritual impression can you leave here before you leave here?
~ Matthew