The Shadow Of The Day

“Daddy, look!  My shadow is getting bigger!”

Those words were spoken to me by my 4 year old son.  We were walking across a parking lot when he noticed our two shadows, side by side.  He was quite moved with just how big they were.  I stopped and stared, then thought to myself, “He’s right, his shadow is getting bigger, but mine’s not (unless bigger means wider).” Then I thought to myself, “One day, my shadow will be gone and only his will remain.”  So, I did what any person with an iPhone would do, I took a picture.  The more I look at this picture, the more it speaks to me.

Linkin Park recorded a great song in 2007 called “The Shadow Of The Day.”  Check out the chorus:

“And the sun will set for you, The sun will set for you, And the shadow of the day, Will embrace the world in grey, And the sun will set for you”  -Linkin Park, 2007

That song has a great melody. Like we do with so many other songs, it’s easy to sing along and not really comprehend the depth of the lyrics. The sun will set for all of us.  Our shadows will fade to grey and all that will be left will be the shadows of other people.

When’s the last time you looked at your own shadow?  Funny how we take it for granted.  We forget about it, even though it follows us wherever we go.  We can’t get rid of it!

Our days are numbered.  Cemeteries are full of shadows from people who faded to grey.  What are you and your shadow doing today? How are you making a difference?   Whose shadow will you leave behind once your gone?  Questions, questions, questions.

The Scriptures speak to this very issue, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” (Psalm 144:4)

The thought of my shadow fading into grey rattles me to the core.  The thought of no longer seeing my shadow next to my son’s shadow grieves my heart.  So, me and my shadow have got to make the most of the moments we have.  What kind of difference are you and your shadow making today?

Back to the Linkin Park song.  When we saw our shadows in the parking lot we talked about them briefly and then continued with our excursion into the store.  Later that evening after the sun had set, we were on our way home and that song came on the radio.  It was a moment.  My 4 year old son and my 6 year old daughter knew every word to the chorus and were singing at the top of their lungs:

“And the sun will set for you, The sun will set for you, And the shadow of the day, Will embrace the world in grey, And the sun will set for you”

It was as if time stood still and they were singing directly to me, foretelling what will inevitably occur.  It’s amazing how different things appear after encountering The Shadow Of The Day.