The Bible has a thousand ways of reminding us that “every man’s life is but a breath.” We are “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” As much as we try to fight it off, delay it and avoid it, death is coming for us all.
Life is like a two-minute roller coaster ride—it spins and twirls, sinks and rises. And it is over before you know it.
There are three distinct ways we can approach the “two-minute ride.” One is to try to make it last as long as possible; that seems to be the main approach of most Americans. The goal of life is to prolong it; an approach destined to fail eventually.
If we know death is inevitable, why do we fight so hard to avoid it? The answer is because the fear of the unknown is perhaps the strongest emotion a human has to grapple with. So we are desperate to do all we can to stave it off, including the denial of reality.
The second approach is to live in fear of death for any number of reasons. The reality of death cripples us. It overwhelms. It becomes an excuse for apathy, a burden so weighty it buries us.
There are so many who are walking around without hope. They see the reality. They observe the writing on the wall. “What is the point?” they may ask and they give themselves over to addiction or complacency.
The third approach we can choose in the face of the reality of death is to live in anticipation of our next season of life. We make the most out of the opportunity of life on earth for exactly what it is worth, no more and no less, and look at this season as a preparation for the one to come.
If we choose this perspective, it makes sense to live by faith, for that is the best way to maximize joy in the next season of life.
Our temporary stay on this earth is an incredible opportunity: a chance to love God and cherish one another; a chance to choose faith and be the person we were created to be. Life is an abundance of opportunities, at least until it isn’t.
We can spend our lives fighting the inevitable or we can accept the design of human life and make the best of the time we are given. {eoa}
The Yellow Balloons Team is committed to influencing individuals and organizations toward choosing a true perspective. Throughout all the diverse circumstances of life, we have the power to make choices and live life above our circumstances. Yellow Balloons provides resources such as books, podcasts and devotionals, which can be found at yellowballoons.net. For more on discovering truth, our new devotional book, Yellow Balloons: 366 Day of Discovering a True Perspective is now available.
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Curt Landry 
Michael L. Brown 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer