"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
"He hath made everything beautiful in his time." Ecclesiastes 3:11
These are famous verses; in between them are the well-known lines "A time to be born, and a time to die..." Often read at funerals. But I don't think these verses were meant to be grim or sorrowful at all. I think they are among the most beautiful and more joyful in the whole Bible, if we can come to see it in a different light.
Ups and downs in life are inevitable; we can avoid them as much as we can avoid falling asleep in a lecture theatre- they will come, no matter what we try. For my dear friends in army, I can think of no better example than being pulled out of our comfortable school environments and thrown straight into the burner, so to speak (That was what they called the gas chamber in which we were exposed to tear gas this morning during our chemical defense exercise). Some of us find it harder to adjust than others. But of course everybody experiences ups and downs in their own lives. One moment everything seems to be smooth sailing, but then again we all know and have seen, both literally and figuratively, how quickly a dark cloud can form over the horizon.
Why does God set aside "a time to weep", and "a time to laugh"? In the seven "time" verses of Ecclesiastes He goes to great lengths to show that there are specific times for everything, segregated from each other and not mixed. The verses sound good and profound, but what is the meaning behind them? I would like to propose one. God wants us to experience each of these times, whether good or bad, in its undiluted entirety, because in each "time" or "season" there is always a lesson, or lessons, to be learnt, specific to those times. He wants us to have the full effect so that we can have nothing less than the full lesson.
We have little trouble thanking God and serving God in times of bliss and peace, and through that we learn gratitude and humility to the God from whom all blessings flow. In times of suffering and struggle, it's not easy to keep trusting God, especially when our emotions get the better of us. But let's not try to evade or dilute the pain. There's a little story I want to share. I have been assigned to clean the drying yard in the bunks where all the wet clothes are hung, and there was this big smear of birdshit on the floor when we arrived. I saw it and knew that it had to be cleaned, but of course I procrastinated. Ignoring it on my daily cleaning rounds didn't help- it still stuck out like a sore thumb. And somehow when I remembered it I was always drawn to go and look at it- I guess it's like when you know there's something wrong you pay special attention to it because you want it changed. I tried one day to tidy up the furniture around the birdshit, hoping that it would make it look less disgusting- how foolish, in retrospect- didn't work. The birdshit was still there. So one day, I just had to go down on my knees and scrub every bit of the floor. And now I can clean the yard in peace.
God intends for us to have "a time to weep", a time when we will face sorrows and difficulties. And when those times come, it's no good trying to run away, or trying to lessen the pain. A bruise will heal faster if you rub it as hard as you can, despite the pain. I believe we were meant to stare our sorrows straight in the face and take the full brunt of it. Much like facing a six foot wave with fists clenched and chest up as it crashes down on you. It will hurt, it will hurt like mad. But when we face it with God at our side, we take one step closer to him, and one step away from the world. And we know that nothing, nothing will ever break us away from the unfailing love of God. "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
So to my dear army mates, and whoever else this may relate to, let's face our trials and suffer for all it's worth. Satan may break our bodies, but he will never break our souls- they are secure in Christ. Perhaps one day, we may even suffer with a smile- "but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience..." Romans 5:3. The story doesn't end there. When the "time to heal" and the "time to laugh" finally comes, it will be all the more sweet. And we will look back and see that the Lord has been with us every step of the way.
One night I dreamed I was walking
Along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints.
Other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that
During the low periods of my life when I was
Suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints,
So I said to the Lord, "You promised me,
Lord, that if I followed You,
You would walk with me always.
But I noticed that during the most trying periods
Of my life there have only been
One set of prints in the sand.
Why, When I have needed You most,
You have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints
Is when I carried you."
"He hath made everything beautiful in his time." Ecclesiastes 3:11
These are famous verses; in between them are the well-known lines "A time to be born, and a time to die..." Often read at funerals. But I don't think these verses were meant to be grim or sorrowful at all. I think they are among the most beautiful and more joyful in the whole Bible, if we can come to see it in a different light.
Ups and downs in life are inevitable; we can avoid them as much as we can avoid falling asleep in a lecture theatre- they will come, no matter what we try. For my dear friends in army, I can think of no better example than being pulled out of our comfortable school environments and thrown straight into the burner, so to speak (That was what they called the gas chamber in which we were exposed to tear gas this morning during our chemical defense exercise). Some of us find it harder to adjust than others. But of course everybody experiences ups and downs in their own lives. One moment everything seems to be smooth sailing, but then again we all know and have seen, both literally and figuratively, how quickly a dark cloud can form over the horizon.
Why does God set aside "a time to weep", and "a time to laugh"? In the seven "time" verses of Ecclesiastes He goes to great lengths to show that there are specific times for everything, segregated from each other and not mixed. The verses sound good and profound, but what is the meaning behind them? I would like to propose one. God wants us to experience each of these times, whether good or bad, in its undiluted entirety, because in each "time" or "season" there is always a lesson, or lessons, to be learnt, specific to those times. He wants us to have the full effect so that we can have nothing less than the full lesson.
We have little trouble thanking God and serving God in times of bliss and peace, and through that we learn gratitude and humility to the God from whom all blessings flow. In times of suffering and struggle, it's not easy to keep trusting God, especially when our emotions get the better of us. But let's not try to evade or dilute the pain. There's a little story I want to share. I have been assigned to clean the drying yard in the bunks where all the wet clothes are hung, and there was this big smear of birdshit on the floor when we arrived. I saw it and knew that it had to be cleaned, but of course I procrastinated. Ignoring it on my daily cleaning rounds didn't help- it still stuck out like a sore thumb. And somehow when I remembered it I was always drawn to go and look at it- I guess it's like when you know there's something wrong you pay special attention to it because you want it changed. I tried one day to tidy up the furniture around the birdshit, hoping that it would make it look less disgusting- how foolish, in retrospect- didn't work. The birdshit was still there. So one day, I just had to go down on my knees and scrub every bit of the floor. And now I can clean the yard in peace.
God intends for us to have "a time to weep", a time when we will face sorrows and difficulties. And when those times come, it's no good trying to run away, or trying to lessen the pain. A bruise will heal faster if you rub it as hard as you can, despite the pain. I believe we were meant to stare our sorrows straight in the face and take the full brunt of it. Much like facing a six foot wave with fists clenched and chest up as it crashes down on you. It will hurt, it will hurt like mad. But when we face it with God at our side, we take one step closer to him, and one step away from the world. And we know that nothing, nothing will ever break us away from the unfailing love of God. "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
So to my dear army mates, and whoever else this may relate to, let's face our trials and suffer for all it's worth. Satan may break our bodies, but he will never break our souls- they are secure in Christ. Perhaps one day, we may even suffer with a smile- "but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience..." Romans 5:3. The story doesn't end there. When the "time to heal" and the "time to laugh" finally comes, it will be all the more sweet. And we will look back and see that the Lord has been with us every step of the way.
One night I dreamed I was walking
Along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints.
Other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that
During the low periods of my life when I was
Suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints,
So I said to the Lord, "You promised me,
Lord, that if I followed You,
You would walk with me always.
But I noticed that during the most trying periods
Of my life there have only been
One set of prints in the sand.
Why, When I have needed You most,
You have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints
Is when I carried you."
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