Reminder That Life Can Be Short

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”…

Canada is getting ready for a state funeral for the former federal Minister of Finance, a man who stepped down from that position just three weeks ago. He guided Canada through some tough waters over the past few years and with his strong leadership plus some strong economic fundamentals built into the fabric of Canadian fiscal policy, the country weathered the storms created in the U.S. by recession, bank failures, the mortgage crisis, etc. without succumbing to same fate as did our American cousins.

Jim Flaherty passed away last week from a severe heart attack, at age 64. While we don’t wish to exploit the family’s grief, it is a reminder that life can be very short. Flaherty was looking forward to slowing down and having more time for hobbies, friends and family. But it never happened.

On the other hand, he lived a very full life and made a difference in his world. The state funeral equivalent in the U.S. would be giving such an honor to a member of the Cabinet or the Speaker of the House.

What have you accomplished so far?

What are you putting off for ‘later’ or for retirement that maybe you should do today?

What will your life be remembered for?

This is a song I wrote a long, long time ago. (Yes, it’s got several verses; I was verbose even back then!) It seemed appropriate to run this here even though it appeared only 18 months ago.

The time has come to look around
Just before the daylight ends
Wish I could have accomplished more
The life I lived seems empty
Now I wish it had been full
What will my life be remembered for?

Some men have built great buildings
Some men have written songs
Others were heroes in a war
I’m not a writer or inventor
Nor a teacher or a preacher (so tell me)
What will my life be remembered for?

Some men have found diseases’ cures
Others ways to lighten loads
Some gave leadership, and more
Doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs
I’m neither one of these (so help me)
What’ll my life be remembered for?

Society bears the mark of ones
Who contributions made
To boldly go where no man’s gone before
Butchers, bakers, candle-makers
Libraries list their names (but not mine)
What’ll my life be remembered for?

Some men make it in Who’s Who
While others write on walls
While astronauts and pilots higher soar
The Guinness Book of Records
Shows what other men have done (but not me)
What will my life be remembered for?

If I could leave a painting
Or a book or an idea
Or maybe sail uncharted shores
Entertainers, living legends
Athletes, immortalized
No famous quotation have I to share
So what’ll my life be remembered for?

I’d like to be in pictures
And no introduction need
And give of my time, talents, wealth and more
The hour glass runs out of sand
No moments for me
A lonely poor man cries out loud
“What’ll my life be remembered for?”