Passing shadows

I am reading through Psalm 144.
"Lord what is man, that you take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that you are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow."
I was cleaning out my drawer and came across several funeral flyers. I keep them, odd as it may be, to remind me of this very idea in Psalms.  This time last year, all these people were going about their lives...living. Now their lives are represented by a funeral flier. Of course their lives are so much more than that, but for them, life down here is over.  From Lucas, our five year old neighbor, to our John, our 50 ish year old friend, to the Mary, a dear friend we bought the farm from, to dear Thelma at 97 and more recently musical and caring Lee. Their days, their shadows are gone leaving the memories and loved ones.
But how about the shadow? What makes a shadow? Shadows are made by an n image and a source of light. We used to play shadow tag. It's fun to make shadow pictures on the wall. It's great to take shadow photos... the better the image, the stronger the light, the better we place our vantage position, the cooler and more impressive the shadow.
I don't really do New Years resolutions although with this cold snap, I have taken down everything off the walls and am changing things around in the house. I guess my resolution would be to paint and mend the holes in the wall and then come up with a new  decorating theme..but for my life, I need to be a stronger image, I need to seek the more brilliant light so if next year I am in someone's desk as the info on a funeral flier, my shadow has some substance. God is my light and my salvation and and he is also a great way to make a make a shadow. My shadow is passing. There is no changing that little fact. We all are. If we endeavor to have a strong, clear witness as our image and the God of all light to make our shadow, perhaps when we leave, the shadow will be the witness we want to leave.