Life is Just a Handbreadth
Handbreadth – a word we don’t use in a casual conversation very often. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever used it, but it’s found in Psalm 39:5 “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.”
Handbreadth is defined as a linear measurement approximately the width of the palm of the hand, from 2.5 to 4 inches. That’s a very small measurement in terms of the length of our lives. It also says that “everyone is but a breath”! And the way time is rolling on in lightning speed the older I get — I believe it!
When we moved my mother-in-law to my sis-in-law and bro-in-law’s home in 2017, mom was on a mission to give away many of her treasures. For everything else, we had an estate sale. It took us a while to distribute it all because Mom wanted to go through every picture from her archives of those who had merited a prominent place in her home.
Karen and I patiently sat with her as she explained the back-story for most of the photos. Many of the people in those photos had gone on to heaven before her. This photo is from her 90th birthday and a couple of those pictured here beat her to heaven. In fact, of her 12 siblings, she closed the door when she went home to heaven on Friday.
When the last sister passed a couple of years ago, Mom and Karen (her daughter) watched the video stream of her funeral and burial. As the casket was lowered into the ground, Mom crouched over and waved “Good-bye, Alma! I’m not happy about this!” Mom didn’t like it that she was the last one standing! She was the 3rd oldest.
Many of Mom’s other pictures were of her mom and dad and she was a much younger version of herself in them. She treasured them because life was changing for her. She was now the great grandma and she was the oldest of anyone in her photos. Goodness, I think about me and my own family. All my siblings are gone. I’m the baby and only one remaining. Indeed, life is just a handbreadth.
And, here we are approaching the time of celebrating the life of my dear mother-in-law. Her celebration of life will be Friday, October 21st. The service will be live-streamed at 10:00 a.m. After meeting at the funeral home today, we’ll be able to give more specifics in case you cared to join us. I assure you it will be joy-filled.
We will remember the life of a dear mom, grandmother, wife, sister, aunt, and friend to so many. We’ll talk about the way we were and we’ll sing songs about heaven. If only we realized the beauty that awaits us, we’d indeed be thanking God that our days are a mere handbreadth before we get to go there too.
My hope is that we will all live our lives fully engaged and not distracted by stuff. That we embrace our own lives in the handbreadth of time we have been given, valuing all those we love. Lord, help us treasure precious moments as memories in the making. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Psalm 144:4, “They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.”