Jim Croce wrote the following words in 1972 for his one year old son - “There never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them.” Croce knew he wouldn’t have an eternity with his boy but he had less time than he knew. On September 21, 1973, Croce died in a plane crash at the age of thirty.

Every Tuesday morning from 8 - 9 am - you’ll find me at my church - the Harbour - with our small group. We enjoy 20 minutes of worship (singing) - 20 minutes of personal introspection - 20 minutes of corporate prayer. The theme for the last 12 weeks has been - “we make a difference”. Pastor Rob asked different ones to lead each week and next Tuesday it will be my turn. Thank you - Rob - for entrusting the opportunity to me to lead. I don’t take the responsibility lightly.

My specific theme for the morning is - Making a Difference - Multiply and Leaving a Legacy.

The reality is this - God is eternal, and our lives are short. It’s humbling. We are unbelievably small. And it’s a good thing for us to realize this.

Remember how short my time is!
For what vanity you have created all the children of man!
(Psalm 89:47)

It’s bewildering to the author of Psalm 89. It seems that he can’t get his head around this fact - how short life is and how fast it goes by. We often say things like - “we’re already halfway through another year” or “how can I possibly have a 15 year old grandchild - it seems my own kids were just teenagers” or “time -please slow down!”

I’ve been focusing - preparing - meditating - considering - Psalm 90.! Moses continues the “life is fleeting” theme from Psalm 89. He begins the Psalm by establishing Who God is and who man is. Psalm 90:1,2 says - “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

I’ve been to Europe a few times and am mesmerized by the fact that some of the buildings I’ve seen are hundreds of years old - some over one thousand. Beautiful - stone castles - fortified structures - that protected kings and queens through centuries of enemy invasion. I’ve not been to Egypt - nor have I seen the King Tut exhibits - but I read a lot and I do know that they have artifacts that go back thousands of years. But long before Europe and Egypt existed - long before the mountains were formed - long before even the earth was formed - God was God. He has no beginning. He has no end.

I have experienced God being my Dwelling Place - my Refuge - personally and in profound ways - when I was 7 years old and moved to a new school and neighbourhood - when I was 16 and found out my Mom had cancer - when I was considering where to attend post secondary education - when Randy and I married - when Randy and I pastored - (particularly during difficult times) - when we needed wisdom while raising our sons - when my brother Tim drowned at 39 - when we became empty nesters - when Randy collapsed with a heart attack and passed away - when I remarried - always God - You are my dwelling place - my Refuge.

Moses continues the Psalm with this thought. “The years of our life are seventy or even by reason of strength eighty. So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” If we live 70 years, our days will be 25,500. If we live 80 years, our days will be 29,200. As I write this, I have lived 24,836 days. It’s no wonder that Moses ( the guy who led the Israelites across the Red Sea) - the one who wrote the ten commandments - the one who led millions of people through the wilderness for 40 years - that guy) prayed that we should number our days and gain a heart of wisdom.

As I number my days - I’ve spent quite a lot of time considering the legacy I want to leave my family. The truths that I believe are these - if I want to have a lasting legacy - it is God who gives it and that legacy is about Him - not me. It’s not about money. It’s not about a financial inheritance. It’s not about having wonderful things said at a funeral. It’s not about naming buildings after a person. If our primary goal is that we are remembered for those things, we’ve missed the point.

The point is to pass on our spiritual legacy - values (unconditional love, compassion, humility and forgiveness) - wisdom (letters and journals of lessons learned) - stories (testimonies of family history - both triumphs and failures - resilience in times of difficulty) - and beliefs family practices, celebrations, spiritual truths). I want my days to count - not waste a minute of them. I want my kids and grandkids to know the truths that have held me through my years. The truths that my parents and grandparents passed on to me.

And that heart of wisdom? What does that look like? A heart of wisdom is a heart that believes God’s promises. It is a heart that leans into His wise governance over all of life. It is a heart that turns away from anything that is not faith. A heart of wisdom believes that God’s Word is truth. A heart of wisdom trusts that God’s promises are for us. A heart of wisdom believes that God’s grace is sufficient. A heart of wisdom knows that God’s gifts to us are a blessing. A heart of wisdom knows that God’s love is powerful. A heart of wisdom trusts that God’s favour is on us. A heart of wisdom believes that God’s power is available to us - each and every day.

Psalm 145:4,6,7 “One generation shall commend Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. They shall speak of the might of Your awesome deeds and I will declare Your greatness. Then shall pour forth the fame of Your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.”

Psalm 78:4,5,6 “We shall not hide them (the teachings) from the children, but tell to the coming generation. He established a testimony……to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope n God.

When we grasp how temporary this life is, it makes no sense to live for what’s temporary rather than what’s eternal. Amy Carmichael - an Irish missionary to India (1867 - 1951) said this - "“We will have eternity to celebrate the victories, but only a few hours before sunset to win them.”

More than anything else in this life - more than pleasure - more than travel - more than good food - more than sports - more than pickleball - more than friendship - my heart is for my family. I love the benediction from Numbers 6:24 - 26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Kari Jobe sings it in a song called The Blessing. My grandkids know that I pray this over them almost every day - because I tell them I do. “May His favour be upon you and a thousand generations - and - your family and your children - and their children - and their children. May His presence go before you - and behind you - and beside you - all around you - and within you - He is with you - He is with you. In the morning - in the evening - in your coming - and your going - in your weeping - and rejoicing - He is for you - He is for you.”