A Beatific New Year!

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." Ps 90:12

I have been running across that phrase for the last week or so and wondering why. It's most appropriate for the New Year, as we look to a brand new year, unblemished, untried, uncertain. Yet, with God's hand we can walk safely in. It's all about trust, and only trust.

God must be quite incredible to put up with all of us! All our silly ways, our wiles and deceit; the things we do, and the things we fail to do. Our pseudo-control we "have"; over our children or our spouse, or our job or our friends or our family; we have no control! We only think we do.

And so each day goes by. It then becomes yesterday, and another day we have lived and can never get back or relive again. What did we do with it? The same things we did the day before yesterday, and the days before that? If so, then I hope those "things" are good things. Even if we can't see the good things. Because usually we don't see those things. We only see another day dawn, and the same-old, same-old in front of us.

But, our Lord sees differently. Precisely because He is God and does not see with our eyes, thanks be to God! (lol) We see nothing new, only the same old disturbances, the same old challenges, trials which never end, difficulties which go on and on.

What do we say? "Why is God doing this to me?" "Why, at my age, am I going through all of this, when life should be easier, more secure, more full of money?"
Says who? Who ever promised any of us a fools gold by the time we get to 60 years old? Where is it written that life gets easier, less stressful, that our days be less filled with tribulation and sorrow? That may be true, that may not be true. I am sure whoever we are, that we all have problems, some very close to home, some in our workplace, our churches, our businesses, our towns, wherever we find ourselves every day.

So, what to do? Pray. With all your heart. Endlessly, all day long. Here and there. Offer up. Always.
Because God hears. And because in a hundred years from now, He will still be listening to those invoking his kindness. But, we will be long gone. Dead for quite some time.
Dead to this life, yet, alive in the next.

"Thou turnest man back to the dust, and sayest, 'Turn back, O children of men!'
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch
in the night. . . . . .
our years come to an end like a sigh.
The years of our life are threescore and ten,
or even by reason of strength fourscore;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone and we fly away." Ps 90

Do not turn your back on God. Walk fully towards Him, and keep walking there all the days of your life. Only then will all of "this" make any sense at all!