Tuesday; November 21

Sixty years ago today seemed pretty unremarkable. The NFL was preparing for a slate of Sunday games, politicians were on the campaign trail getting ready for the 1964 elections. The space race was heating up. People were making plans for Thanksgiving. November 21, 1963 was just another day in America. November 22, would be a whole ‘nother story. Around noon on Friday; November 22, American history would change and much of the rest of the western world would feel the impact. When the shots rang out in Dallas, it wasn’t just the Kennedy Administration that would be altered, our nation was turned inside out.

When I think back on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I am reminded of how quickly things can change. Not just how brief life can be, but how uncertain our surroundings are. In a moment, the plans we have made can be reduced to dim memories of unfulfilled expectations. When I think about what happened on that day in Dallas, I am reminded of a simple statement from the Bible, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14).

Let’s do our best to make wise plans, but let’s never forget that we can’t see clearly into the future. When we realize the tentative nature of life, we can spend more time invested in this moment and not be nearly as anxious about what “might” happen in the future.

Think About It!

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