When I was getting married my mother made me a crewel saying, which my father had framed. Crewel work is like embroidery but made with thin yarn. It says, “Life is fragile, handle with prayer”. It is still in my house, though it is put away while young children are living with me who might mark it or get it dirty. It is quite precious to me, because my mother made it.
It was also a good reminder to a young couple starting their marriage. Life is fragile! Young couples can be careless in how they speak and act towards each other, not realizing how words or actions can be misinterpreted and hurt the other person. Prayer can help to slow things down and make misunderstandings less likely, and sometimes less damaging.
But the saying that “life is fragile” applies to other parts of our lives as well. No one knows how much time we have with each other. Even the strongest and healthiest person can have an accident, or become ill and our time with them can be cut short. When I was talking with my husband towards the end of his life he would remind me that nothing was certain. I could be in an accident and he, with his limited life expectancy due to the cancer, could be left with the children. Life is fragile, nothing is certain.
In our church we have been reminded of that this past week. One of our members, Nancy Turner, passed away unexpectedly last Saturday. She wasn’t young, and her health was not the best, but she was still there, singing in the choir and helping to clean up after a funeral luncheon just a week before she died. At many of the events and meetings this week people have spoken about her and their many memories of the time that they had known her and her family. She has been an active member of the church for many years. She will be missed!
But the suddenness of her passing reminds us that indeed, life is fragile. We cannot take tomorrow for granted. None of us can know if we will see friends or loved ones again. My husband knew that all too well. He made a point of telling our sons every day, and always when they left the house, or went to bed, that he loved them. He knew his time was limited, and wanted them to remember that they were loved.
How often do we put off telling others that we value them, believing that there is always tomorrow, always time later to do so. But there are no guarantees. Life is indeed fragile! Let us handle others gently, with prayer.