Observation: I never noticed before that Psalm 90 is introduced as "A Song of Moses, the Man of God." I don't know of any other Psalms attributed to Moses. It's poignant, as I reflect on the psalm's theme of fleeting human life compared to God's eternity, to think of Moses' long life and all the change he saw. From Egyptian prince, to shepherd, to unwilling prophet, to tribal leader, in one lifetime--no one could accuse Moses of not making the most of his life. And yet looking back, it sounds as though Moses still feels it all went by too fast. Sitting on the edge of the Promised Land, knowing he'll never go in, Moses says "teach us to number our days, that we may gain a wise heart."
Application: I'm looking out over our back yard, where snow is falling over the autumn leaves I still haven't gotten to rake. Note to self: waiting for all the leaves to fall is not a great strategy out here.
In the background, Daniel Tiger is singing to my youngest son. Before long, he'll grow out of that, just like his older siblings did. I want to count this late autumn day, as Moses suggested. I don't want to let this day have me, but instead I want to be fully conscious of the tiny bit of good I can do in it, knowing it will fly by like all the rest. I feel God's call to humility: to not let any grand vision or scheme of mine, no matter how noble or worthy, get in the way of the quiet work of being present to God today. I want to be ready to serve God and my neighbor in a small way today, and take joy in it. I want to count my days, to know them as short but vital stories of God's presence in this world. And I also want to make my days count, knowing they are finite, even though God is eternal.
Prayer: God, teach me to count my days. Especially this one. Amen.
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