butterflies on a string

With each minute, my eyelids are growing heavier and heavier. Rather than reaching for the lamp cord, I reach for my book and read a chapter that will likely having me dream wildly tonight. "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan (though only two chapters in) has got my mind crankin' on these issues of life. Here's a passage I found interesting tonight:

"In about fifty years (give or take a couple of decades), no one will remember you. Everyone you know will be dead. Certainly no one will care what job you had, what car you drove, what school you attended, or what clothes you wore. This can be terrifying or reassuring, or maybe both."

I could die at any moment. I could've died trying to take this picture of a flat tire while oncoming traffic (in a foreign country) were flying by. All it would've taken was one jerk of the wheel by the driver of the truck to ram into our van and crush me under the wheels. But it didn't. I'm still alive. But for how much longer?

Chan goes on to talk about life as a movie. We think we're the ones in the spotlight--the stars of the movie. But we're not. Think about it. All that's happened before us, and all that may happen after we're dead is evidence that we're one unseen extra in the cast of the movie. Our part in the show is one fraction of a second, yet we're so thrilled to be in it, we invite everyone we know to the opening night to point our our huge part in the movie. Only, it's not huge at all. It's so small, people walk out of the theater in disgust of our arrogance. Our part in the movie of life is microscopic. God is the main character. God is the only one who has been around long enough to keep the show on the air. So, why are we walking around like it's all about us? But, God, what should we do with this ridiculously small part we've been given in the movie? "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" -1 Cor. 10:31.

Our existence in this world is as fragile as a vapor. John Piper also speaks of this in his book "Life as a Vapor." I was given this book by my long time friend Beth Schulze a number of years ago. "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes" -James 4:14. A year ago at this time I was in Guatemala on a cross cultural trip with some friends from seminary. This vapor talk reminded me of some butterflies we saw hanging from a string. With one flick of the string, they would fly away. Vanish. The next day they'd be back hanging in the same place on the string. We vanish alright. Only, we don't get a chance to fly back the next day. Our time is so short. With one flick of the string, we'll be gone. How does that change the way you'll live tomorrow?