NUMBer

I find it ironic that, in the English language, the word number has within it the word numb. Why? Because so many of the things in life that we count have a tremendous capacity to make us numb. And so many of the things that really matter can't be counted.

We can count days and decades, money, houses, cars, financial investments, material possessions, and even people; but have you ever tried to quantify friendship, love, forgiveness, or grace? Few of us can survive without attention to some basic tallying, but that's not what human life is really about.

Be careful with your life, so that the things you number do not numb you to the essential things that are incalculable. Meaning and purpose need to be reckoned with, but they will not sit still or line up for numerical inventory. There comes a time when numbering should cease, and it might be sooner than you imagine.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins