Dressed in a Marine uniform with a helmet on his head, my brother looked so small. He was seventeen, but looked twelve. With our father’s signature, that kid from Allagash was able to enlist once past sixteen. He left this life at seventy-five. At a remembrance event held by his daughters, the girls later gave the flag to me. A flag presentation to a loved one at a funeral represents honorable service, sacrifice, and the nation’s gratitude. The ceremonial folding of the flag is steeped in symbolism, with each of the 13 folds holding a specific meaning, such as life, belief in eternal life, and tribute to the veteran’s service to the country. I had a hard time to stop crying. This was the life of a man who was my brother but, truthfully, we rarely saw eye to eye.
I’ve stood by the gravesite of many who were once my spiritual brother or sister in Christ with similar emotion. Needed comfort came as I reflected on the fleeting life lived, about whom I could say he or she is now gone to Him who loved and washed that one from sins in His own blood.
Does the Bible address this? Glad you asked.
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.
“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!
Give it some consideration.
Gary