So,

Have you ever thought about the end of your life, you know, when you have finally lived your four score and ten?

I mean, have you ever really worked through what might happen and what you might do to prepare?

Obviously, none of us know for sure when that time will come, nor do we know the circumstances, but - have you prepared for the inevitable?

For some of us the Covid scare has left us thinking about the end of life, for others, a health scare has forced the issue, for others, the tenuous lives of loved ones who are fragile have made us think, and for some of us just thinking about the quicken pace of aging has jarred our outlook!

For those who may not know, Sue and I went this past week and visited with all four of our sisters: Sandy, Pam, Sue and Nancy, plus three of their spouses.

It was wonderful! Everyone is doing so well.

The only ones who got Covid were Pam and her husband Dan, and they came through it well, though Pam was very sick.

But here is my burning my question; when did all my relatives get so old?

When we got together, we talked about gray hair, doctors’ visits, arthritis, the problems with stairs, and having to have children help us deal with technology!

We even talked about the fact that we more than any generation have been immunized for just about anything and everything! And for the most part without much question.
All but Sanjay and Nancy remembered the sugar cubes in school for polio and the pin prick for tuberculous. How about you?

Perhaps that is the reason that we are living way beyond when many of our parents and grandparents did, I mean, they were old and feeble, at least as we remember them.

I remember my grandmother wearing a house coat and sensible black shoes and sporting a hearing aid with a long wire that snaked down into her bosom. Crazy!

But the craziest thing of all is that we all know something we didn’t know then - you don’t live forever! Aging happens! And while it has a benefit or two, a lot of it stinks, so perhaps, we need to make some plans.

And while dying is not what we should be focused on, life really only lasts so long. So, taking some time to think through what we want to do and when is essential.

Sue and I have been talking a little bit about looking up in the Albany area for a kind of vacation house, kind of a bedroom and bathroom we can sleep in when the Farley’s house get too cramped, or more importantly, cramp our style!

I mean with Brian and Katie both in the Albany area, it makes sense to get a place that we can stay at when Noah eventually has school plays and concerts sporting events that we want to attend.

And Katie, who is remarkable helpful sometimes, has decided to be our guide in this process. Yeah Katie!

Actually, I suspect she is hoping we will buy a house that she can then rent from us while we are still here working and living here! So she has been looking on Zillow, the online reality app, and then sending us “leads”. I’m not sure 5 million is in the ballpark!

Of course, Sue and I have never bought a house, so this ought to be an adventure.
In fact, none of us, including Mary, Rachels mom, have bought a house, until Brian and Rachel did this past December.
So, we have no idea where to buy and what to buy and how to buy. And then Brian helpfully pointed out that we need to make sure to get a house in a really good school district because of resale value.

To which I responded, “why, I won’t be reselling it! That’ll be your problem!”

Um buddy, sorry to break it to you. None of us are getting out of here alive unless the end of time happens soon, and Jesus returns, and then resale values are going to be abysmal!

So, when the Apostle Peter started talking about Jesus’ death and David’s death as he preached on Pentecost, it ought to be a reminder that the end of life is surely coming, and that we shouldn’t be surprised or upset. It’s part of life!

Peter was simply pointing out to the crowd, that though they were party to Jesus’ death, God had raised him back to life! It was exactly what God had promised.

They should have known that it was going to happen!

Death is the greatest reality. But… Resurrection is greater!

And while we will not live forever, we will for sure live again and that changes everything. Well, except resale values on houses.

So, we need to take time to be wise and plan for our limited futures. But more importantly we need to be wiser and plan for our eternity, by not being so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good.

Our limited time here is an opportunity to care for our children and grandchildren for sure! But we also need to make sure that those we love, understand the joy and the hope we have in Jesus that this earth experience is just a prelude to an eternity in God’s presence!

God has done an amazing thing in Jesus and in doing so has opened up eternity to us! Rejoice. Sing and shout and dance! May it be so, Lord Jesus! Amen.