Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

With those words, an announcer (somewhat hauntingly) welcomed viewers to the “Days of Our Lives” soap opera. A large hourglass appeared on the television screen and music played.

The older I get, and with every glance in the mirror, I’m reminded of the transient nature of things. In fact, the soap opera itself ended its years of on-air presence, which reached back to the mid-1960’s. (There’s buzz about its come back in streaming…but that’s another story for another day.)

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics offers (in-part) a universal law of decay; that is, order declines into chaos, new becomes old, life gives way to death. Everything, including facial elasticity, declines. As one person put it, “Nothing stays as fresh as the day one buys it; clothing becomes faded, threadbare, and ultimately returns to dust. Everything ages and wears out. Even death is a manifestation of this law. The effects of the 2nd Law are all around, touching everything in the universe.”

So where does that leave us? Where, as followers of Christ, do we see ourselves and the days of our lives?

I confess, it’s easy to be lured in by the belief (wish?) that all the happiness and wonder of life (the joy of children, the beauty of creation, a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream on a waffle cone) never ends.

The Apostle Paul provides a trove of perspective on this thing we call life. Far from being a Downer Dan, he gives a clear-eyed perspective on the sands in our hourglass.

If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot.

The last few weeks have underscored what I’ve grown to know. Time moves quickly. Having to say good-bye until the morning to a nephew and witnessing two grandchildren make the bold leap from high school proximity to collegiate distance. Reminders abound.

As the late theologian Corrie Ten Boom advised, “Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.”

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

Categories: Acts17seventeen

Pastor Mark

Mark, the eighth of nine children born to Reuben and Henrietta Meeks—dedicated church planters with nearly 30 congregations established across California’s Central Valley—is a preacher's kid who grew up immersed in faith and service. With over forty years of experience teaching, discipling, and ministering to communities, including the hospitalized and incarcerated, Mark responded to God's call to pastoral ministry. He holds degrees in civil engineering and public administration, as well as a Master’s in Theology from Fuller Seminary, equipping him to serve with both practical insight and spiritual depth.