Trampolines and Life Lessons

14 . . . yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. – James 4:14

This weekend I spent a good amount of time at a trampoline park. These are every kid’s dream. Floors and walls of industrial grade bounce mats provide hours of joy for children of all ages (including 34 year olds who wish to recapture their carefree youth). After 30 minutes, I realized how fragile our bodies are. I have came to the brutal conclusion that my body doesn’t feel as young as my mind does.

There is a humble reckoning in getting older. It seems to happen overnight. One day you foolishly think you are invincible, while the next you feel aches and pains you previously were impervious to. This is the plot of everyone, the trajectory of our being. Perhaps this is God’s reminder of the fate of sin. That eventually, we should all return to dust. The author of Ecclesiastes tells us that we have eternity in our hearts. There is a longing too deep for this life to satisfy. Some of us try to meet these longings with protein shakes and a fervent seize the day flare. All have well intentions, but can promise only a momentary glimpse of lasting mortality.

While this can be a sobering reality, the end of ourselves is always meant to be the start of transcendent grace. We are a mist that floats and clings to the remnants of the resurrection. This Holy event is what me must run to in our battered state. This is where true living – the kind that mutes the sting of death – begins.

Some day these aches will fade and the slow burning victory of Jesus will be complete. Until then, our bones creak with the noisy reminders of a distant home. Let your frailty give you an eternal strength.