I went to a funeral yesterday. A co-worker. Four years younger than me. Cancer.

She is gone.

I am still here.

A miracle.

Life is fragile, not just for her or me – for all of us. Those who are sick and those who are not can be taken at any time. Control is an illusion – something best surrendered to God, who is permanent and strong forever.

Although I sometimes live as though visible things are all-important, they aren’t. They are fleeting. We live here now, so concrete things matter, but it’s the unseen things that matter more. Faith is worth a bit of discipline. A strong spirit is worth some effort. These things will last.

Something else hits home when the mother of three children, one still in elementary school, dies. Each moment we have is a gift. Each routine day is precious.

Today I can hear chickadees outside. My heart beats properly. There is homemade bread on the counter. I will see the face of a loved one soon – a familiar face framed by a nest of morning-hair. There are daisies growing in the ditch beside our street.

Life, tomorrow, is not a given.

Live today as if it’s your last.