According to the latest research in cosmology, our universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old.

While we can argue about its origins, its expansion, its end and all matters of existence (and the existential crisis to go along with it), there’s something very practical we can envision.

A billion years is a LONG time to imagine.

To give context, a million seconds is 11 days.
A billion seconds… is 32 years.

Almost 14 billion years takes a stretch of the imagination and even then, it’s still hard to fathom.

However, let’s go on a thought experiment.

Imagine a painted line along one of the walls inside of your home. It doesn’t matter what room or what wall, we just want the image.

Now pretend that line is the timeline of the universe from its origins until now. Again, that line encompasses 13.8 billion years, so measure accordingly and figure out how long every millimeter (or inch) represents.

Next comes the fun part.

Think of everything you’re worried about—and I mean life-altering, the world is going to end type of worry.

How much of a mark will it register on that line?

Would it even show up?

You see, long after you and I are gone, that line will continue moving… continue being painted… because we are but a breath in the cosmos.

We are privileged to even look upon it.
To reflect on it.
To be a part of it.
Even for a brief moment.

Thinking upon it underscores our responsibility to share that message with others and appreciate we are all participants in the story of the universe.

Even if we played a minor role, we still played our part.