A Mist

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

James 4:13-16

Early this morning a tornado ripped through Middle Tennessee. It tore a 50 mile long path across four counties through homes, businesses, and schools leaving devastation and death in its wake. As of right now the death toll stands at twenty-five. That's twenty-five lives lost and twenty-five families forever changed. Had it not happened in the middle of the night, it could have been much worse.

Occasionally we are reminded just how fleeting life is, just how quickly our world can change. It's humbling to think that it very easily could have been my family, my home, my church, or my kids' school that was destroyed. But it's uncomfortable for us to be humbled in this way. It kicks against our natural pride, independence, and self-reliance to live everyday of our lives under the knowledge that God holds our lives in His hands. And so we do our best to forget the feelings of powerlessness as quickly as possible. We try to get back to "real life", get back to "normal." But maybe we shouldn't.

This passage in James teaches that we shouldn't live like our lives will go on forever. Instead, we should live each day understanding that we don't know what tomorrow will bring. We should live fully aware that our life is like a mist that is already disappearing. We exist at God's pleasure. Every day we wake up is a gift from Him. So, as we pray for those affected by this storm and as we help with cleanup, let's not go back to life as it was. Instead, let's live each day for Him understanding that today is a gift from Him and it could be our last.