ISSUES | A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH LASummer2017 | Page 9

approaches: the sandcastles stood proud; meteors fell as the dinosaurs frolicked; a beautiful couple
can be drowned on their honeymoon. There are millions out there – that boy included – who
before they died, dreamed of one final glimpse of their parents, who dreamed of hot soup on a
rainy day, who dreamed of simply feeling something in their fingertips. Be a hedonist, be godly, but
whatever you do, don’t take the future for granted. Before the stars fade, will we be satisfied with
what we’ve done? If we were to die before the next breakfast, would we be content with what
we’ve shared and what we’ve eaten? Will the testimony of our lives be the shuffling of feet in an
awkward memorial or will it be a thousand, silent remembrances from all who knew us? The next
morning is not guaranteed, and if it arrives, it is a blessing.
Savour the cake before the candles are blown out. The birthdays are ticking.