Expiration Dates

Valerie Cullers 33 Comments

E. date

For the last few weeks, I have been thinking about Expiration Dates and the fact that each one of us has one. I see each of us as having an Expiration Date stamped on the back of our necks at the time of our birth. It’s not a visible mark, mind you. You know, one that we can see if we hold a mirror up to the back of our necks. It is invisible and has been stamped there by our Creator.  No one else can see it. He alone knows which day will be our final day. 

The problem is that none of us knows our Expiration Date. If we did, we would live quite differently than we do. Most of the time, we live as if we have all the time in the world, but we don’t, our time is limited here on Earth.  Intrinsically we know this fact but it is hard to incorporate it into our daily lives. How can we live in such a way that we keep our eyes on the Eternal and not on the transient?

If you are like me, it will take intentionality in order to do it. I must remind myself daily that this could be my last  day and I need to do whatever I am supposed to do today. If I live that way, I will be ready when my Expiration Date arrives.

What about you? How do you keep your mortality in mind so that you can keep your priorities straight? Let me know.

“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

33 thoughts on “Expiration Dates”

  3. Thanks, Valerie.In the Scriptures, someone prayed, (David?) “Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to doing good.” (or something close to that ) I took it to heart, and calculated how many days I had already lived and how many days I had left, were I to achieve my three score and ten. It was sobering. How quickly I flew past 70! Now I say I’m living on borrowed time. Now each day is truly a precious gift.Time is the most valuable comodity in this world. Lord, let us invest this treasure of time in things that will last for eternity.Amen?Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

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  7. I have been aware of my mortality for a long time. Being dead does not scare me, but certain possible methods of dying do.

    I try to live each day well, doing good work and leaving something positive behind. Some days I do better than others.

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  10. Amen-Amein Sweet Sister in Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua Valerie!!

    “Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only GOD keeps You Going.”!! Amen-Amein Praise Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua Hallelujah!!

    Our ONE True GOD’S LOVE 💘 is ETERNAL THROUGH HIS SON Christ-MESSIAH Jesus-Yeshua for Today and Everyday Forevermore Everyone!!

    I Love you all Everyone through Jesus-Yeshua Christ, because HE LOVED EVERYONE FIRST!! 💕 Praise Jesus-Yeshua Christ-Messiah for Today and Everyday!!

    Love 💕 Always and Shalom, YSIC \o/

    Kristi Ann

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  11. Basically there is Life and death already in this world/life. And few of the “living” are (truely)alive and not dead. This saying is so frequent in the new Testament and fathers. One should Not read it as analogy in my opinion. But as factual. Whoever does Not live a Life of repentance, prayer and true sacraments (If attainable) is not even alive. They are fighting for every breath of the way. And who are they fighting against?. Of course against other people, but also against themselves. And above all against God. And God grants them their “Life”, which is basically Just a delaying of the physical eternal death, with few carnal pleasures added in. But mostly pain. So that they would wake Up.

    I have read St Gregory of Nyssa in Workbreak this Week. On proverbs, and the other 2 books of King Salomo. Mostly of course the Song of Songs, i think it is called in english. And at night Philokalia St Maximus Confessor on Love. Anyway St Gregory is highly important for those with manichean leanings.

    Plus i had the realization that all protestants must be in pelagian heresy.

    St Maximus has a very sobering Line on pride… Once our Passions die in a Spiritual Life vainglory automatically Rises(relative to this). So true! Lord have Mercy

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  12. Thank you, Valerie, for this reminder to live every day as though it could be our last. As I read what you wrote about the invisible mark on the back of our necks, I couldn’t help but think about the birthmark that God placed on the back of my neck which is visible. I will think about that now in this light of making every day count for the Lord.

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