LET’S DO WHATEVER WE CAN, WHILE WE CAN

“I shall pass through this world once, anything therefore that I can do,

let me do it now, for I shall not pass through this way again.”Stephen Grellet

A couple of weeks back (10th December, 2009), I had the God-given chance to reach out to a small number of school kids in a secondary school (high school) near where I live. For me, it was the year’s most thrilling, beautiful and fulfilling moments. I had a truly great time inspiring, motivating and encouraging the young teenagers. I shared Christ’s love, hope and peace with them. And they were all excited and happy!

Job says, “All of us born to women live only a few days and have lots of trouble. We grow up like flowers and then dry up and die. We are like a passing shadow that does not last.” (Job 14:1-2). The psalmist declares, “I am a stranger on the earth.” Psalm 119:19. And it was Jacob who said to pharaoh: The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers. (Genesis 47:9). We are aliens, pilgrims, strangers and sojourners. Each person is here but for a little moment – a short time. Like the early morning fog, our lives shall someday fade away as a dream. The bible underlines this at James 4:14, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” From birth, childhood, adolescence to adulthood, we glide through this wilderness of life – along the tides of time as swiftly as a flowing river, and disappear as quickly as a dream of the night.

Life is short. Our walk through life is a brief moment, a passing shadow, a blowing wind. Like a candle in the wind, we are here only for a short stay. David (God’s favourite) confirms this, “LORD, tell me when the end will come and how long I will live. Let me know how long I have. You have given me only a short life; my lifetime is like nothing to you.

Everyone’s life is only a breath. People are like shadows moving about. All their work is for nothing; they collect things but don’t know who will get them.” Psalm 39:4-6. 1 Peter 1:24 reads, For,"all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off..."

Let’s do whatever we can, while we can to bring Christ’s salvation and love, hope, peace, light, healing, change, inspiration, encouragement, sunshine and smiles to the lives of others. For we are travelers merely passing through this planet. We shall not pass this way TWICE!!!

“I am a traveler passing through the earth, as all my fathers were.” Psalm 39:12b

I believe whichever continent we are living, we have every opportunity to contribute something - no matter how little and small; in our own different ways, to the good, progress, improvement, development and wellbeing of our community and humankind. This is our chance!!! There is an old African proverb that says, “If everyone sweeps the front of their homes and houses, the whole world will be clean.” Let us do whatever we can, now that we can!!!