Faded Beauty

 

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and wit is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:15-19 ESV).

 

Mary loves fresh flowers. There are times when I find myself looking over the array of fresh flowers and plants at the store trying to pick just the right combination. Bringing them home we immediately trim the stems and place them in water that has been treated with a stabilizer to help them last longer. Inevitably they will begin to fade and droop as the vibrance and beauty of the petals begin to die. I’ve never had fresh cut flowers last more than a week or so. This always seems like such a short time to us!

 

I am reminded that in the grand scope of the universe, human life is also brief. Compared to the age of our planet, a human life of even a hundred years seems short. Our reading today uses the example of flowers in a field to describe how short our life is. These plants are beautiful, but they last for just a season, and some of them bloom for only a day.

 

The same is true for us. Even though our lives have value and beauty, our bodies will eventually die. This can feel frightening to us. It can make us feel insignificant, and it shows us we have no control over the circumstances of our own death or when it will come.

 

But Psalm 103 assures us that we can place our hope in God, who created us and watches over our lives. “From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him.” This promised love will last longer than we could imagine. The beauty of our lives will fade, but the beauty of God’s care, protection, and love for us will last forever.