I’m in the Short Rows Now

I’m in the short rows now. This will have meaning only to those who have grown up on a farm. As a young man my family had a small farm that produced much of the food we consumed year round. Growing various crops meant a lot of work during the growing season. One of the things we had to do was use a garden tool known as a hoe, to cut out the weeds growing along with the vegetables. This was a laborious back breaking job.

As we worked, the rows would seem like they reached forever. But as one neared the end of the field, the rows would grow shorter. And thus the saying, we are in the short rows now, meant we were nearing the end of the job. And as those short rows would get shorter and shorter, the time in each row went by faster and faster. Those shorter rows went by much quicker when compared to the longer rows in the middle of the field.

Now I make an application of this when I say “I’m in the short rows” of life now. I’m in good health and hope to live to see all my grandchildren grow up and have families of their own. But at 61 years of age, I know that I have lived to see many more years than what I have left. And just as those short rows in the field seemed to go faster and faster, the same can be said of my years now.

Time certainly passes quickly.

The last words of Crowfoot the Indian, as he died, expressed such when he said, “What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

James noted this when he said, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14

Job expressed man’s life in terms of days in Job 14:1. And observe that he referred to it as a few days.

The Psalmist expressed time with 6 descriptions in Psalm 90: 4 – 9. All the phrases describe how quickly time passes. He says, “For a thousand years in Your sight…” and then proceeds to give the following comparisons:

1. Like yesterday
2. Like a watch in the night
3. Like a flood
4. Like sleep
5. Like the growing grass
6. Like a sigh

And then in verse 12, he says to “teach us to number our days.” It is interesting the text doesn’t say “teach us to number our years”.

When we are asked how old we are, we always reply in years. But we should note, life is not made up of years. Life is made up of days. Not years. Days.

Sir Walter Scott had some interesting words to say as he died. With his last breath, he said, “Be a good man – be virtuous – be religious – be a good man. Nothing else will give you any comfort when you come to lie here. GOD bless you all.”

Lord, help me to number my days. Help me to realize the brevity of life. Help me to appreciate each day. And help me use it for good. I want my days to glorify You. Help me to that end.