So what should I write about first? So many thoughts and idea knocking around in my head, it's hard to decide what the subject of my first blog should be. I think I'll just close my eyes and play 'eeny-meeny-miny-mo'
The subject left standing...perspective. God's been teaching me a lot about perspective lately. He is really good at using a hardship to teach us what's important...quite honestly, it can be annoying sometimes. Like recently when my husband fell and broke his leg so badly that it needed a metal plate and several screws...it instantly gave me a different point of view about what's important.
In the big picture, does it really matter if the lawns get mowed this week? Or the bubbling counter top gets fixed? The instant my husband was injured, my entire honey-do list became meaningless.
Nine times in the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes, king Solomon uses that word, "meaningless." He refers to; pleasure, wisdom, folly, great plans, projects, riches, toil, knowledge, skill, acknowledgment, advancement, etc. etc. etc. as "meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
King Solomon is considered to be the wisest of men. He asked God for wisdom and God gave him understanding, insight and wisdom as measureless as the sand on the seashore (1 Kings 4:29) That's a lot of wisdom!! He bookends Ecclesiastes with with the exact same proclamation;
"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."
(Ecc. 1:2 & 12:8)
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."
(Ecc. 1:2 & 12:8)
King Solomon was an overachiever. From his 700 wives and 300 concubines, to his building of the first temple in Jerusalem, to his rule over the Israelite nation. He was determined to figure out what the meaning of life is though experiencing every possible thing that he thought might bring satisfaction, significance and meaning to life. In the end he discovers that EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS! No exceptions to his final conclusion.
Have you ever thought that if you could just do that one thing, or achieve that next level, or make just a little more money, or experience pleasure in that way, or get better at that one skill...then you would finally find significance or be happy? I have.
I have this idea in my head of what happiness looks like...clean house, well behaved kids, manicured lawn, thin body, perfect marriage, lots of money...I keep waiting for those things to happen, thinking that one day I'll figure out how to achieve my idea of happiness.
Strangely, that day has yet to come. Believe it or not, in 24 years of marriage and 43 years of life I've yet to have one day that matches up to my ideal of happiness. Maybe I need to re-evaluate...maybe I need a new perspective.
That's the gift of hardship...perspective. Since my husbands injury, he hasn't mowed the lawn once (but it makes me smile to imagine him trying to push around the lawn mower on crutches ;-) In fact, I've had to step up and do many of the things that he used to do, simply because he just can't right now, with a cast.
Oddly enough, I'm okay with it. His injury has given me perspective about what really matters - and it's not the length of the grass or the amount of honey-do's that get done. These too are are "meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
After King Solomon spends 12 chapters talking about all the meaningless things he finally concludes his meaning of life research with this verse:
Have you ever thought that if you could just do that one thing, or achieve that next level, or make just a little more money, or experience pleasure in that way, or get better at that one skill...then you would finally find significance or be happy? I have.
I have this idea in my head of what happiness looks like...clean house, well behaved kids, manicured lawn, thin body, perfect marriage, lots of money...I keep waiting for those things to happen, thinking that one day I'll figure out how to achieve my idea of happiness.
Strangely, that day has yet to come. Believe it or not, in 24 years of marriage and 43 years of life I've yet to have one day that matches up to my ideal of happiness. Maybe I need to re-evaluate...maybe I need a new perspective.
That's the gift of hardship...perspective. Since my husbands injury, he hasn't mowed the lawn once (but it makes me smile to imagine him trying to push around the lawn mower on crutches ;-) In fact, I've had to step up and do many of the things that he used to do, simply because he just can't right now, with a cast.
Oddly enough, I'm okay with it. His injury has given me perspective about what really matters - and it's not the length of the grass or the amount of honey-do's that get done. These too are are "meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
After King Solomon spends 12 chapters talking about all the meaningless things he finally concludes his meaning of life research with this verse:
"...here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man."
Ecc. 12:13
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man."
Ecc. 12:13
That word "fear" comes from the Hebrew word, yaw-ray which means: to revere
The definition of revere is: to regard with admiration and deep respect. to be in awe. to worship.
So at the end of this day and at the conclusion of our lives the only thing that will be taken into consideration is our relationship to our Lord.
The definition of revere is: to regard with admiration and deep respect. to be in awe. to worship.
So at the end of this day and at the conclusion of our lives the only thing that will be taken into consideration is our relationship to our Lord.
Have I regarded Him with admiration and deep respect? Have I been in awe of Him?
Or has my lawn mattered more?
I can almost imagine Jim mowing the lawn on crutches:-)
ReplyDeletePerspective is the hugest thing that God has been teaching me for a long time now. "Reframe the picture" is almost a life motto. Look at every circumstance from God's perspective - put it in God's picture frame.
Thanks for doing this, Kim. I will check back often!!