I’m having a strange experience here lately. I’m alone. To make it more interesting for me, not only am I alone but my technology access is limited. I’m usually ok with alone time but I’ve grown accustomed to the constant companionship of my family.
At one time, my family was small. When I married Michael, I gained his family too. Time has added members to our close knit band of redneck gypsies. That has been hard enough to come to understand and appreciate. God has added another layer to the family quilt. He has added our CMA family. This one took even longer to understand and appreciate. How could a group of people just swallow you up in love and acceptance? The answer there is Jesus (of course).
So, if for some reason I’m not with a member of the at home family, I’m almost always with a member of my CMA family. Except now.
Now I’m in Washington DC in a nice hotel room all alone. It’s quiet here. Since my technology access is limited, it’s really quiet. The majority of my time is spent in classes but the evenings are free.
Tonight I jumped in with a group of folks I have never met before yesterday. We went on an adventure in this great city. We rode the Metro and a trolley and a shuttle. We walked from the Smithsonian to the Lincoln Memorial. We saw the new Martin Luther King Jr memorial. We talked. I prayed. I wondered where the nagging fear that should be following us was.
A year or two ago I wouldn’t have been able to make that walk. The fear of…well, just about most things would have kept me firmly in my place. A year ago, I went to a taping of the Jesus film in the Marshallese Islander language and my life began a crazy twist. I saw this ordinary woman say “I said ‘God this is just another chance to trust you’.” I wanted nothing more than to be able to say that and mean it.
Michael and I were both making good money at that time. We had everything we wanted. The more I prayed to trust God as fully as that young woman, the more things got stripped away. I could recount the losses but the gains are so amazing that they don’t matter as much.
I am becoming more and more the person I am meant to be. I start conversations with strangers and care about their answers to my questions. I want nothing more than to be used of God. I rest in the full knowledge and belief that every day He is guiding me and using me. I know that this world is only a temporary work zone. I am daily greeted with reminders of His love. I am compelled to share this marvelous treasure with those I meet. I fall down and He helps me up. I succeed through His great mercy. Still I beg, Lord, use me. Lord, increase my faith until any doubt flees before it has time to take root. Lord, make me completely yours.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Do Good While There Is Still Time
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!” (Psalms 37:1)
You see them. They walk around dressed in nice clothes with a smirk. They sit and talk and decide futures. They make choices and feel like the choices are for the good of others but in reality they don’t know what the others need. We find ourselves powerless to influence these people as they tear down those they are trying to help.
Like the woman in Walmart the other day-funny how my new employment status is increasing the amount of time I spend in Walmart . She was talking on her cell phone while her 3 year old daughter was desperately trying to get her attention. I’m not sure she even knew the little girl was there. Of course the dad who took his 15 year old son, 14 year old daughter, and his son’s pregnant girlfriend to dinner and calling the boy an idiot the whole time was the bad parent winner. Then there is our President and the bill to force insurance companies to pay for abortions-oh, I mean morning after pills. There are people making decisions that destroy others and there is no one who can stop them.
We are told not to worry about those people, those who plot evil and do evil. We are told to leave them to the LORD. He will, in His time, deal with them. Instead of spending our time and emotional energy on those who do wrong, we are instructed to “Trust in the LORD , and do good”.
Depression feeds off negative self-talk. When you fret about something, you talk about it all the time. “These people are evil. I need to do something. I can’t do anything. I don’t have any power. They will always win.” You repeat that enough and soon you don’t even want to get out of bed because you know you can’t win. That is not what we are called to do.
We are called to pray, and to trust, and to do good. When the self-talk starts, we have to change it. “These people are evil. I need to do something. No, God will take care of that. I need to pray for their salvation. Thank you LORD for helping me to change my focus.” Gradually, it becomes easier to replace the negative talk.
The Word says over and over that good will triumph over evil. “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.” (Psalm 37:10)
In just a little while the evil doers will be gone and those who do good and trust in the LORD will be saved. We are called to run the race with perseverance. The race is not easy but those who have a relationship with Jesus will win. In just a little while, He will call us home where we will spend eternity with Him. There will be no evildoers in heaven. There will be no pain, no sadness, no unfairness. Have hope! We will make it to the end and in the end we will have the greatest comfort we could imagine. Until then, trust in the LORD and do good.
You see them. They walk around dressed in nice clothes with a smirk. They sit and talk and decide futures. They make choices and feel like the choices are for the good of others but in reality they don’t know what the others need. We find ourselves powerless to influence these people as they tear down those they are trying to help.
Like the woman in Walmart the other day-funny how my new employment status is increasing the amount of time I spend in Walmart . She was talking on her cell phone while her 3 year old daughter was desperately trying to get her attention. I’m not sure she even knew the little girl was there. Of course the dad who took his 15 year old son, 14 year old daughter, and his son’s pregnant girlfriend to dinner and calling the boy an idiot the whole time was the bad parent winner. Then there is our President and the bill to force insurance companies to pay for abortions-oh, I mean morning after pills. There are people making decisions that destroy others and there is no one who can stop them.
We are told not to worry about those people, those who plot evil and do evil. We are told to leave them to the LORD. He will, in His time, deal with them. Instead of spending our time and emotional energy on those who do wrong, we are instructed to “Trust in the LORD , and do good”.
Depression feeds off negative self-talk. When you fret about something, you talk about it all the time. “These people are evil. I need to do something. I can’t do anything. I don’t have any power. They will always win.” You repeat that enough and soon you don’t even want to get out of bed because you know you can’t win. That is not what we are called to do.
We are called to pray, and to trust, and to do good. When the self-talk starts, we have to change it. “These people are evil. I need to do something. No, God will take care of that. I need to pray for their salvation. Thank you LORD for helping me to change my focus.” Gradually, it becomes easier to replace the negative talk.
The Word says over and over that good will triumph over evil. “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.” (Psalm 37:10)
In just a little while the evil doers will be gone and those who do good and trust in the LORD will be saved. We are called to run the race with perseverance. The race is not easy but those who have a relationship with Jesus will win. In just a little while, He will call us home where we will spend eternity with Him. There will be no evildoers in heaven. There will be no pain, no sadness, no unfairness. Have hope! We will make it to the end and in the end we will have the greatest comfort we could imagine. Until then, trust in the LORD and do good.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wrap Up
We read through one of the strangest books of the Bible. It isn’t easy to read. It doesn’t make sense. The book is depressing and sad and vanity.
When I taught about Solomon in Sunday School, he was presented as wise, rich, and powerful. Since he was wise, rich, and powerful, I assumed he was happy. Wise, rich, and powerful people are always happy. Then, I found this book. These are not the writings of a happy person. These are the writings of a person who is tired. Wisdom brings pain. Riches highlight our need for something more than physical security. Power presents a host of problems that those of us without it cannot understand.
Solomon talked to God. Solomon knew there was something so much more than what he could experience. Maybe the longing we hear in this book is the expression of a man longing to be home. A taste of God would leave you dissatisfied with anything available here on earth.
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity but this vanity has been given to us by the Lord to prepare us for Himself. We are to work and love and share. We are to continue until we are called home. Depression is one of the enemies we are called to fight. The bleak outlook and feelings of despondency are not easy to overcome. Our Father though was aware that we would face this battle. He wrote us this love note, Ecclesiastes, to let us know that He knows about depression. He understands. He understands and He loves us so much that He will help us make it through these valleys and into joy.
When I taught about Solomon in Sunday School, he was presented as wise, rich, and powerful. Since he was wise, rich, and powerful, I assumed he was happy. Wise, rich, and powerful people are always happy. Then, I found this book. These are not the writings of a happy person. These are the writings of a person who is tired. Wisdom brings pain. Riches highlight our need for something more than physical security. Power presents a host of problems that those of us without it cannot understand.
Solomon talked to God. Solomon knew there was something so much more than what he could experience. Maybe the longing we hear in this book is the expression of a man longing to be home. A taste of God would leave you dissatisfied with anything available here on earth.
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity but this vanity has been given to us by the Lord to prepare us for Himself. We are to work and love and share. We are to continue until we are called home. Depression is one of the enemies we are called to fight. The bleak outlook and feelings of despondency are not easy to overcome. Our Father though was aware that we would face this battle. He wrote us this love note, Ecclesiastes, to let us know that He knows about depression. He understands. He understands and He loves us so much that He will help us make it through these valleys and into joy.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Chapter 12-The End Is Near
Old age comes. I’ve seen it. I have watched age ravage people-from those I sat with as they died to my grandmother in law. Age comes with its pain and anger and fear. The preacher describes it beautifully. The world fades. Eyes can no longer delight in all the fine details. Ears begin to shut out the sounds around them. Legs wobble. Small things become giant annoyances. The body wears out.
Some people work hard to keep all of that from happening. They buy magic creams to keep skin supple. They buy magic dye to keep hair from turning gray. There are plastic surgeons who make fortunes reversing the signs of time. Medicines try to keep the inevitable from slowing down the fun.
But, life is full of pain and joy. All is vanity.
Depression threatens to settle in on our shoulders like the dusty blanket grandma is huddled under. It threatens but hope is found. “the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God, who gave it” Amen and Hallelujah!
Our spirit will return to the Father. He will hold us in His arms. He will tell us “Well done good and faithful servant.” We will spend eternity in His presence. The bliss the drug addict is trying to touch- that bliss is found in our Lord and we will have it for all eternity. The euphoria and connection the sex addict is trying to find is found in our Lord and we will experience it for all eternity. The light the frightened child runs to in the dark of night is found in our Lord and we will bask in it for all eternity.
The vanity of this life dissolves into nothingness when we come into communion with our Jesus. Because of Jesus we are saved. Because He loves us and died to wash away our sins, we are able to be in the presence of our Holy God and Father. Because He rose again, we can face tomorrow knowing that the end of here is the beginning of heaven.
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (v 14)
When the time of judgment is at hand, what will you say? The only answer is Jesus. Without Jesus, you cannot come into the presence of the Father. All of your sins will be shown and you will be found unclean. Jesus has paid the price for your sins and through Him, you can come to the Father.
Everything comes down to this: Life is vanity. It holds no meaning outside of your relationship with God. Will you waste what you have been given or will you “fear God and keep his commandments”?
Some people work hard to keep all of that from happening. They buy magic creams to keep skin supple. They buy magic dye to keep hair from turning gray. There are plastic surgeons who make fortunes reversing the signs of time. Medicines try to keep the inevitable from slowing down the fun.
But, life is full of pain and joy. All is vanity.
Depression threatens to settle in on our shoulders like the dusty blanket grandma is huddled under. It threatens but hope is found. “the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God, who gave it” Amen and Hallelujah!
Our spirit will return to the Father. He will hold us in His arms. He will tell us “Well done good and faithful servant.” We will spend eternity in His presence. The bliss the drug addict is trying to touch- that bliss is found in our Lord and we will have it for all eternity. The euphoria and connection the sex addict is trying to find is found in our Lord and we will experience it for all eternity. The light the frightened child runs to in the dark of night is found in our Lord and we will bask in it for all eternity.
The vanity of this life dissolves into nothingness when we come into communion with our Jesus. Because of Jesus we are saved. Because He loves us and died to wash away our sins, we are able to be in the presence of our Holy God and Father. Because He rose again, we can face tomorrow knowing that the end of here is the beginning of heaven.
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (v 14)
When the time of judgment is at hand, what will you say? The only answer is Jesus. Without Jesus, you cannot come into the presence of the Father. All of your sins will be shown and you will be found unclean. Jesus has paid the price for your sins and through Him, you can come to the Father.
Everything comes down to this: Life is vanity. It holds no meaning outside of your relationship with God. Will you waste what you have been given or will you “fear God and keep his commandments”?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Chapter 11- Beauty
One can find beauty in anything. Beauty seems to be hiding just behind the corner waiting for you to notice it. God placed little bits of beauty all around for us to see and remember that He is with us. He is with us in the pain. He is with us in the quiet moments of healing and the jubilant moments of worship. He is with us.
Chapter 11 starts with “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days”. As a child hearing this verse, all I could see were the ducks coming quickly to gobble up the bread. I didn’t want to find it again after that. Time brought the meaning into focus. Bread is something good that people need. If you have good things, share them. Share them with many people. In time, the blessings will come back to you.
This chapter gathers many wise and good sayings together and weaves them into a beautiful, pain tinged fabric. Do good. Notice the weather and work with it. Think before you act because it is hard to redo. All that comes in the first four verses.
Then comes one of my favorite verses: “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything” v 5.
I think the preacher wrote this to remind himself. He was a very wise man. He was a man who had thought through so many things. He had tried a million ways to bring meaning to this life. He didn’t get it though. After all the thought, the pleasures, the delicacies, he had to come to the same conclusion that Job came to- we are not God and we cannot understand His workings. Even in an age where scientists can manipulate embryos, we do not know how the spirit enters the body. We do not know why some people get cancer and others live in chronic pain. We do not know why.
The preacher exhorts us to work, for we do not know which seeds will take. We do not know the plan. We can take joy in the good days but we have to know that there will be days of pain. We have to know that we can enjoy life. We also have to know that there will be judgment for our sins.
Life is not an easy thing. (This is where the mournful sound of Kenny Rogers’ voice fills my head ..”You got to know hold ‘em. Know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run…And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep”) The gambler and our preacher knew the pain of life.
You know, there are a million people walking around out there today thinking the best they can hope for is a good hand of cards and a peaceful death. How sad. We have the key to a most amazing life. We know the secret to a life of joy. It is time for us to cast that bread upon the waters. We have to tell them about our Jesus. We have to tell them there is more to life than what they can see. We have to tell them that even though this life hurts, we have a healer who can heal any hurt.
Chapter 11 starts with “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days”. As a child hearing this verse, all I could see were the ducks coming quickly to gobble up the bread. I didn’t want to find it again after that. Time brought the meaning into focus. Bread is something good that people need. If you have good things, share them. Share them with many people. In time, the blessings will come back to you.
This chapter gathers many wise and good sayings together and weaves them into a beautiful, pain tinged fabric. Do good. Notice the weather and work with it. Think before you act because it is hard to redo. All that comes in the first four verses.
Then comes one of my favorite verses: “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything” v 5.
I think the preacher wrote this to remind himself. He was a very wise man. He was a man who had thought through so many things. He had tried a million ways to bring meaning to this life. He didn’t get it though. After all the thought, the pleasures, the delicacies, he had to come to the same conclusion that Job came to- we are not God and we cannot understand His workings. Even in an age where scientists can manipulate embryos, we do not know how the spirit enters the body. We do not know why some people get cancer and others live in chronic pain. We do not know why.
The preacher exhorts us to work, for we do not know which seeds will take. We do not know the plan. We can take joy in the good days but we have to know that there will be days of pain. We have to know that we can enjoy life. We also have to know that there will be judgment for our sins.
Life is not an easy thing. (This is where the mournful sound of Kenny Rogers’ voice fills my head ..”You got to know hold ‘em. Know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run…And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep”) The gambler and our preacher knew the pain of life.
You know, there are a million people walking around out there today thinking the best they can hope for is a good hand of cards and a peaceful death. How sad. We have the key to a most amazing life. We know the secret to a life of joy. It is time for us to cast that bread upon the waters. We have to tell them about our Jesus. We have to tell them there is more to life than what they can see. We have to tell them that even though this life hurts, we have a healer who can heal any hurt.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Chapter 10- Medicine is not the answer
All it takes is one mistake to destroy an otherwise good life. “Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench” (v1) Usually though the life changing mistake is being prepared for long in advance. This chapter shows example after example of how the foolish show themselves to be foolish and how even if one is living righteously things will not necessarily move in a “good” way.
“Folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place” (v6) Watching tv is a good way to see how folly is set in many high places. Hour after hour the tv plays stories of people who are unwise. Popular shows examine sex crimes, drug use, infidelity, children who are disobedient and rude to their parents and parents who support abhorrent life styles. Then there are the ads for medicine. Hour after hour you are told that whatever illness you are facing can be cured with a magic pill. There are side effects including “fatal events” but those can be remedied with the medicine on the next commercial.
I was in the pharmacy one day. There was a woman talking with the pharmacy tech. She asked for one med. It was a high powered anti-psychotic. I wasn’t surprised because the woman had the slightly disheveled look and thrusting tongue of a person on such meds. That medicine was almost ready and the tech asked if she needed another med. This one was a powerful anti-anxiety drug. The woman said “Oh yes, but I don’t need the…” The one she didn’t need yet was a sleeping pill advertised routinely. Then she asked if her doctor had called in a refill for a pain med. I almost started crying.
I am sure the progression of her drug use was slow. She had probably had a rough start in life. When she was a young mom, she probably had a bout of depression, or illness that manifested as depression. She was prescribed a pill for it. There were side effects so she got another pill and so on. Now, she cannot function without handfuls of pills with every meal. She is trapped and thinks she is doing something good for herself.
And, even with all these pills, our society is so depressed it cannot see hope. We do not understand as much as we think we do about depression. We have found substances that seem to help for a time. The only cure for depression is the freedom found in Jesus. There is not a magic pill that will take it away. It requires a daily relationship with our Savior and work. The work is hard. The work hurts but so does depression. Sometimes, medicine can help with the work but we must remember that the medicine is not the answer.
This book, Ecclesiastes, is depressing. Over and over again we are told that life is hard. Life hurts. Life doesn’t make sense. We are told to enjoy what we have-our jobs, our spouse, our food-because those are the things we have. But we have to remember that Solomon, our preacher, did not know Jesus. If we know Jesus, we know that there is something more than this world. There is a hope that transcends all pain. There is a joy that floats in above all the pain- a joy that can take the most awful pain and soothe it. There is a light that will destroy the darkness of depression.
If you are depressed, reach out. Someone is waiting to help you. You need the support of those who love you to walk through the night. You need those who have been in that valley to help you make it to the other side. Do not walk that valley alone. It is a real and dangerous place. People do not always make it out. We are meant to be in relationship not only with our Jesus but with others who know pain. Please, please reach out. We want you to be well and will do whatever we can to help you get there.
“Folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place” (v6) Watching tv is a good way to see how folly is set in many high places. Hour after hour the tv plays stories of people who are unwise. Popular shows examine sex crimes, drug use, infidelity, children who are disobedient and rude to their parents and parents who support abhorrent life styles. Then there are the ads for medicine. Hour after hour you are told that whatever illness you are facing can be cured with a magic pill. There are side effects including “fatal events” but those can be remedied with the medicine on the next commercial.
I was in the pharmacy one day. There was a woman talking with the pharmacy tech. She asked for one med. It was a high powered anti-psychotic. I wasn’t surprised because the woman had the slightly disheveled look and thrusting tongue of a person on such meds. That medicine was almost ready and the tech asked if she needed another med. This one was a powerful anti-anxiety drug. The woman said “Oh yes, but I don’t need the…” The one she didn’t need yet was a sleeping pill advertised routinely. Then she asked if her doctor had called in a refill for a pain med. I almost started crying.
I am sure the progression of her drug use was slow. She had probably had a rough start in life. When she was a young mom, she probably had a bout of depression, or illness that manifested as depression. She was prescribed a pill for it. There were side effects so she got another pill and so on. Now, she cannot function without handfuls of pills with every meal. She is trapped and thinks she is doing something good for herself.
And, even with all these pills, our society is so depressed it cannot see hope. We do not understand as much as we think we do about depression. We have found substances that seem to help for a time. The only cure for depression is the freedom found in Jesus. There is not a magic pill that will take it away. It requires a daily relationship with our Savior and work. The work is hard. The work hurts but so does depression. Sometimes, medicine can help with the work but we must remember that the medicine is not the answer.
This book, Ecclesiastes, is depressing. Over and over again we are told that life is hard. Life hurts. Life doesn’t make sense. We are told to enjoy what we have-our jobs, our spouse, our food-because those are the things we have. But we have to remember that Solomon, our preacher, did not know Jesus. If we know Jesus, we know that there is something more than this world. There is a hope that transcends all pain. There is a joy that floats in above all the pain- a joy that can take the most awful pain and soothe it. There is a light that will destroy the darkness of depression.
If you are depressed, reach out. Someone is waiting to help you. You need the support of those who love you to walk through the night. You need those who have been in that valley to help you make it to the other side. Do not walk that valley alone. It is a real and dangerous place. People do not always make it out. We are meant to be in relationship not only with our Jesus but with others who know pain. Please, please reach out. We want you to be well and will do whatever we can to help you get there.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Chapter 9 The Color Purpl
I watched the movie “The Color Purple” yesterday. It had been many years since I had watched it last. Watching now with a different world view, I was able to see some of the wonderful things that had previously been hidden. I was also able to see how easy it is to be led astray-especially if your foundation is not strong. The Color Purple shows a woman abused over and over again. Finally, she reaches the breaking point and makes a stand. After that moment, her world turns around. She decides that the only person who ever loved her had been taken away and kept from her. I wonder, if she had known Jesus, would she have felt that way. If she had really had a relationship with Christ would the bad things have been able to hold her down for so many years.
The preacher says that it doesn’t matter what we do. “Whether it is love or hate, man does not know” (v.1). We are trapped in a world where our actions mean nothing. The same things-good and bad-happen to those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice. I can see Alice Walker, the author of The Color Purple, saying this. It doesn’t matter. It is our job to survive and enjoy what we can enjoy where we can enjoy it. How sad is that?
The preacher is presenting a world view without Christ. He exemplifies the “No Jesus, No Peace” bumper sticker. The best he has to offer anyone is to “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love” (v 9) excellent advice but empty in the long run.
Henry David Thoreau wrote that “most men are living lives of quiet desperation”. This quote has echoed through my head countless times as I looked at the piles of meaningless days. We get up and do our appointed work. In that appointed work, we find a measure of happiness. We go home to our family. If it is a happy family, there is a pleasantness most nights but the inevitable fights and hormones happen. Then we go to bed, perhaps to dream something delightful, but really what is there in dreams except even more thin vapors than we find in the waking world. It is awful this quiet desperation. The days stretching out into months and still nothing to fill the void.
The preacher tried filling the void with so many things. He had good food, many women, entertainment, education, work, yet nothing could fill the void. Thank God, we have the missing piece-the missing peace. We can reach out to Jesus to give us the water of life which will never leave us wanting something else to drink. He is the bread of life which fills not only our hunger but all of our senses. His love infuses us and causes us to reach out, beyond ourselves. We reach out and grab on to others. We build relationships that transcend all barriers. We build friendships which give us the strength and boldness to tear down walls. The darkness of this world where the best we can hope for is to be alive fades in the pure light of heaven and we see that the best we can hope for is to know Jesus.
The preacher says that it doesn’t matter what we do. “Whether it is love or hate, man does not know” (v.1). We are trapped in a world where our actions mean nothing. The same things-good and bad-happen to those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice. I can see Alice Walker, the author of The Color Purple, saying this. It doesn’t matter. It is our job to survive and enjoy what we can enjoy where we can enjoy it. How sad is that?
The preacher is presenting a world view without Christ. He exemplifies the “No Jesus, No Peace” bumper sticker. The best he has to offer anyone is to “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love” (v 9) excellent advice but empty in the long run.
Henry David Thoreau wrote that “most men are living lives of quiet desperation”. This quote has echoed through my head countless times as I looked at the piles of meaningless days. We get up and do our appointed work. In that appointed work, we find a measure of happiness. We go home to our family. If it is a happy family, there is a pleasantness most nights but the inevitable fights and hormones happen. Then we go to bed, perhaps to dream something delightful, but really what is there in dreams except even more thin vapors than we find in the waking world. It is awful this quiet desperation. The days stretching out into months and still nothing to fill the void.
The preacher tried filling the void with so many things. He had good food, many women, entertainment, education, work, yet nothing could fill the void. Thank God, we have the missing piece-the missing peace. We can reach out to Jesus to give us the water of life which will never leave us wanting something else to drink. He is the bread of life which fills not only our hunger but all of our senses. His love infuses us and causes us to reach out, beyond ourselves. We reach out and grab on to others. We build relationships that transcend all barriers. We build friendships which give us the strength and boldness to tear down walls. The darkness of this world where the best we can hope for is to be alive fades in the pure light of heaven and we see that the best we can hope for is to know Jesus.