• Dene's Blog
  • About Dene
  • Contact Dene
  • Dene's Recipes
  • Dene's Books
  • Dene's Classbooks
  • Gallery
  • Recommended Sites
  • FAQ & Tutorial
  Flight Paths

Shelf Life

11/27/2012

0 Comments

 
I never thought about sodas having a shelf life until a couple of years ago.  We bought several boxes at a great sale and stacked them out of the way until needed.  We put one on the floor of the pantry back behind the potatoes, onions, and other odds and ends that won’t fit on a shelf.  It takes us 2 or 3 months to go through one 12 pack, so by the time we had finished the first few, we had totally forgotten about that one.  I only found it because I dropped something that rolled into the back of the pantry and had to pull everything out to find it. 

We decided to celebrate our discovery with a soda.  It wasn’t just flat.  It was the worst thing I ever put in my mouth.  On a whim, we searched the box, and sure enough, there was a sell-by date that was about a year past.

We all have shelf lives too, as much as we hate to think about it.  But instead of viewing this from the perspective of immortality—how short our lives really are--we seem to view it from the perspective of the shelf life of a bottle of milk—compared to that we live practically forever.  Maybe that is why we view death as a tragedy instead of a victory.  We keep looking through the wrong end of the binoculars.  One of the most difficult things we have to do as Christians is constantly changing our perspectives,  re-focusing our hearts from things in plain sight to things which the world cannot, and will not, see.

2 Chron 34 and 35 tell us the story of Josiah, the last good king of Judah.  He tried to clean up a Temple that was in disrepair and a worship that was in disarray.  As his reward God said he would not live to see destruction brought upon Judah.  What!?  Dying was a reward?  Yes, because this godly man had his perspective correct.  He viewed going on to the next life as far preferable to seeing God’s people destroyed.

Josiah died in battle at the age of 39.  Dying young was his reward for faithfulness.. What one of us would not look at that fact superficially and say, What a tragedy for such a good man to die so young?  Maybe I need to rethink my attitude about death.  I may grieve, but faith means my life will not be ruined by the death of a loved one.  I may have a little concern about how it will be to die, but faith means I should not be terrified. 

I hope I am not coming across as morbid.  Maybe having nearly become a relatively young widow twice in eight years has me more aware of the possibilities these days.  I simply mean to remind us that we have hopes and comforts the rest of the world doesn’t. 

I have a shelf life and so do you.  It is shorter than we think, and it will mean nothing to us in that first glimpse of Eternity.  I imagine we will be glad to be there, and wonder why we worried even a little.

For me to live is Christ and to die is gain…I am in a strait between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for it is far better…Phil 1:21,23

Dene Ward

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Author
    Dene Ward has taught the Bible for more than  forty years, spoken at women’s retreats and lectureships, and has written both devotional books and class materials. She lives in Lake Butler, Florida, with her husband Keith.


    Categories

    All
    A Wives Series
    Bible People
    Bible Study
    Birds & Animals
    Book Reviews
    Camping
    Children
    Cooking Kitchen
    Country Life
    Discipleship
    Everyday Living
    Faith
    Family
    Gardening
    Grace
    Guest Writer
    History
    Holiness
    Humility Unity
    Materialism
    Medical
    Music
    Prayer
    Psalms
    Salvation
    Trials

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly