It is All Fading

A few days before Christmas we were out shopping– the stores were packed, the shelves were packed, and people were all striving to find those last minute perfect gifts. Everything looked so shiny and inviting. Each aisle promised excitement and satisfaction. It was easy to give in to the temptation to spend and to buy. Everything in sight held the promise of enjoyment.

At that moment the energy was high, it was palpable in every store. The excitement of the sparkly items was evident.

 

A few days after Christmas, we walked into those very same stores. The very same aisles. I was taken aback by the stark contrast. Just days before, what was so alluring and pretty was now a disheveled, hollow, and stark space. Most of the shelves were empty, but what was left was a mess…and those sparkly shiny objects? Now they looked different. They no longer held the promise of must-haves, but they were marked down to 90% off just to get rid of them. No one was interested in them anymore. They didn’t seem so exciting. Many were now broken and tattered.

A stark contrast indeed.

Isn’t’ that the irony of this world? We want and want. Things clamor for our attention. They seem so inviting and so alluring. And so quickly, what captivated us at first, fades away and becomes old in an instant. What was so coveted becomes a throwaway item just like that. The anticipation, the joy, the excitement of the pre-holiday rush melted into a heap of exhaustion or relief that it was over.

It’s like the white glistening of a fresh snowfall. We marvel in its beauty and sparkle and pure whiteness, and just days later we trudge through the brown slush. Everything on this earth fades. We can never hold onto it. Whether it is a new gift, fresh snow, or even a feeling at the beginning of something new. It all fades. The very things we anticipate so fully pass by so quickly and are just memories.

We simply can not hold onto things of this life. We can’t hold onto things that aren’t permanent. We are always moving forward away from this earth and toward the one thing that will never fade- eternity.

As we go into the new year, my prayer is to live like Jesus. To seek after things that matter. To let Him use each moment of my life for His glory and His purposes.

May I not get caught up in the shiny objects of the here and now, but keep my eyes fixed on the one thing that will remain long after all else has faded.