| The Glory of the Common Life |
Chapter 2 |
Page 6 |
To every young person there comes in the bright days the opportunity of living a beautiful life, but it comes only once, and it stays only for a little while. The vision will not wait. “Me ye have not always,” it says. There are some things we can do at any time, but this is not true of following Christ. We think it is – that we can accept him and take the blessings of his love when we will – but it is not true. Delay dulls and hardens or hearts. Delay uses us the moments of his waiting and eats up our opportunity. At our convenience we say, “I will take him now”; we turn, and he is gone.
All the best things are transient. George Klingle has written a little poem entitled “While We May.” The words startle us. While we may suggest that there will come a time when we may not.
“They are such fond, frail lips
That spoke to us. Pray, if love strips
Them of discretion many times,
Or if they speak too slow or quick, such a crime
We may pass by, for we may see
Days not far off when those small words may be
Held not as slow or quick, or out of place, but dear
Because the lips are no more here.”
As we gather about our home table let us remember we may not all be there again, and let us make the meal one of sweetness and joy. Let us be patient with one another, kind and thoughtful, gentle, while we may. Soon we shall not have each other.
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