numbering our days

Brian and I can hardly comprehend that have now lived in Indianapolis for a full year! Since moving in, we've been counting down the remaining months on a little chalkboard in our kitchen. We started at 26, which makes our current number 13 look pretty good!

While this can't-wait-until-the-end-of-school exercise is certainly exciting, last Sunday our worship pastor presented us with a countdown far more significant.

Though we all know that our time here won't last forever, thoughts about the end of life are rather vague. We know it's out there, but since we don't know when, it almost seems like it's not really going to happen. Most people, including myself, just hope that God will grant them a long life. And then we don't think about it much past that.

Let's say that God decides to bless you with 90 years before He calls you home. The following stats are 90 years broken down, from birth to death:

MONTHS: 1,080

WEEKS: 4,680

DAYS: 32,760

HOURS: 786,240

WAKING HOURS (if you factor 8 hrs of sleep a night): 524,160

Don't just glance at these numbers - look at them again. Look hard. Do they take your breath away like they do mine? 32,000 days - such a concrete number - sure doesn't seem like very many. And at 29 years old, I have already lived more than 10,000 of them.

Oh Father, may You find me faithful.

"Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

You return man to dust and say, 'Return, O children of man!'

For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

For we are brought to an end by Your anger; by Your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

For all our days pass away under Your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Who considers the power of Your anger, and Your wrath according to the fear of You?

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

- Psalm 90: 1-12 (ESV)