Henry Drummond, The Ideal Life, page 122, gathers the sections from the Bible that answer the question, “What is your life?”. When put together in this way he creates a most beautiful prayer.
“There lie scattered throughout this Book no fewer than eighteen of these answers, and all in
metaphor, to the question, “What is your life?” And anyone who has not before gathered
them together, cannot but be surprised at the singular beauty and appropriateness of the
collection. To begin with, let us run over their names. “What is your life?” It is
A tale that is told. A sleep.
A pilgrimage. A vapour.
A swift post. A shadow.
A swift ship. A flower.
A handbreath. A weaver’s shuttle.
A shepherd’s tent removed. Water spilt on the ground.
A thread cut by the weaver. Grass.
A dream. Wind. Nothing.