Morning, Noon, and Evening: A Reflection on Life

There is an old riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?

The answer is a person. In the morning of life, we crawl. At noon, we walk on two legs. In the evening, some of us use a cane for a third.

At eighty, I hear that riddle differently than I once did. It seems like yesterday I was in high school, dreaming about the future. I sometimes watch young people strolling on American Bandstand in 1958. They were smiling and dancing, with no way of knowing what the coming years would bring. Neither did I. James reminds us that life is like a vapor: it appears for a little while and then vanishes away (James 4:14). That thought makes me consider how we spend each part of the day God gives us.

Morning: Learning to Walk

Morning is the time for growing and learning. A child learns how to walk, how to speak, how to treat others, and what matters most. Scripture calls parents to teach God’s words diligently to their children in the ordinary course of life (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Proverbs urges us to train a child in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6). That is wise instruction, though no parent can guarantee every choice a child will make.

I have often said as a prison minister that true prison reform begins here. We put great effort into rehabilitating adults after harm has been done. We should also put great effort into habilitating children—helping them learn, from the beginning, how to live.

Many parents teach principles Jesus taught without realizing where those principles came from. “Treat others as you would want them to treat you” reflects His teaching in Matthew 7:12. Teaching a child to care about a neighbor, and even to respond to an enemy without hatred, points toward His commands to love our neighbors and our enemies (Matthew 22:39; Matthew 5:44). We can teach children to reject sin and wrongdoing while remembering that the person who has done wrong still needs love, truth, and a chance to repent.

The wisest parent also gives a child something more than good manners: a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. That becomes a true north when other voices pull in different directions. Parents must pay attention to what their children watch, whom they spend time with, how they speak, and how they treat people. They must guard against teaching prejudice, greed, or pride in appearance. Much of a child’s training happens through the example set at home. Paul’s instruction to bring children up in the training of the Lord also warns fathers against provoking them to wrath (Ephesians 6:4).

Noon: Choosing the Road

Then comes noon. The child becomes an adult and begins making decisions that parents can no longer make for them. Early training can provide a pattern, but each person must choose whether to follow it.

Those choices reach into work, friendship, marriage, and family. I would hope a young person finds honest work that brings some satisfaction—work they can rise to meet each morning. Money matters, but it is a poor measure of a life. Whatever our work may be, Scripture calls us to do it wholeheartedly (Colossians 3:23).

I would also hope they learn to watch their words. An angry sentence can be spoken in seconds and remembered for years. They should choose companions carefully, date carefully, and think seriously about the person they may marry. The people beside us help shape the road we take (Proverbs 13:20).

Through those years, Scripture remains the road map when our own judgment is uncertain. We read it, examine ourselves by it, and keep Christ at the center of our decisions. We build relationships that last, love that endures, and the trust of children, friends, and coworkers. We also make room in our lives to help others, including those already walking through the evening of theirs.

Jesus spoke of laying up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21). Those treasures are worth more than the possessions we spend so much of noon trying to collect.

Evening: What We Carry Home

Eventually, evening comes. Some of us walk with three legs. We carry the effects of our earlier choices, but we also carry memories, lessons, and the opportunity to pass wisdom to someone younger.

Ordinary good choices about rest, food, and drink may help us in later years, though good health is never guaranteed. More valuable still is a life spent regularly with God—in His Word, among His people, and in His work. Even in old age, there is reason to keep learning and serving. The psalmist describes those planted in the house of the Lord as still bearing fruit in old age (Psalm 92:12–14)).

Some reach evening surrounded by children and grandchildren. Others have no family nearby. Jesus reminds us that those who do the will of God are His brother, sister, and mother (Mark 3:33–35). The family we have in Christ is real, and we should make sure no brother or sister has to face evening alone.

One day, this earthly life ends. I do not need a headline in the newspaper or a name remembered for generations. I would rather leave good memories with those who knew me: love shared, help given, truth spoken with kindness, and wisdom passed along. Above all, I want to finish faithfully. Paul could say that he had fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7–8).

Morning, noon, and evening pass more quickly than we expect. We cannot see all that lies ahead, but we can ask God to teach us to number our days and use the day before us wisely (Psalm 90:12). And when our walk here is finished, what a joy it will be to come home to Him.