Moments go by fast

Psalms 49
13 This is what happens to those who live for the moment,
who only look out for themselves:
14 Death herds them like sheep straight to hell;
they disappear down the gullet of the grave;
They waste away to nothing —
nothing left but a marker in a cemetery.
15 But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death,
he reaches down and grabs me.
16 So don't be impressed with those who get rich
and pile up fame and fortune.
17 They can't take it with them;
fame and fortune all get left behind.
18 Just when they think they've arrived
and folks praise them because they've made good,
19 They enter the family burial plot
where they'll never see sunshine again.
20 We aren't immortal. We don't last long.
Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.
THE MESSAGE

As I read this Psalm, I felt this would be very hard to write about.  Some things in the Psalms are hard to read, but here's my thoughts.  I am reminded of some of the movie stars who bask in the spotlight of fame, money and false praise to manipulate them into shining on the screen.  Really they are just people, like us.  So many tragedies show up in the newspaper.  It's so sad they never knew how to really live.  To me, when it says, "live for the moment" it means selfishly doing what pleases ourselves with no regard for others.  Or allowing other people to control us.  The opposite is to be compassionate to others; helping when we can.  To know Jesus as Lord and Savior is really the only way to know what love is and stay out of hell.  Before I became a Christian I was angry and empty.  I swore like a truck driver with a high-pitched, squeaky, voice.  Becoming a Christian is mysterious.  After I accepted Christ, at the age of 16, I laughed for the first time in years.  When I read the Bible for the first time it stung.  All I saw was what was wrong with me.  But I continued to read it. Soon I began to see the other side- God's unending love and mercy.  When I visited a stranger in a Nursing Home, I felt like a princess sharing a wonderful gift.  So opposite of trying to dull my senses and the deadness inside.  There's so much more to life than money and fame.  Even sunsets are more beautiful when you understand who painted the sky.

My Grandma, who was a Christian, died at age 99.  Before she died she said, "I don't think we are supposed to live this long"- death was merciful.  Grandma Long used to crochet, listen to baseball on the radio, and watch basketball on TV.  At 80, she drove the old ladies to Church.  At 90, her hands shook so bad she could no longer hold a crochet hook.  It was hard to see.  She left behind afghans and all sorts of crocheted items.  Best of all, a message of love I will always treasure.