"There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:"
Ecclesiastes 3:1
This summer was different than those in years past. For starters, my family experienced more loss than any summer in my memory. It seemed for several weeks straight I was dealing with the sickness of or loss of another uncle. I preached two funerals of men that I have many childhood memories of. Most of those memories involved a front porch, lots of laughter and more food than you could imagine. As I prepared to share for each service there were a few things that kept coming to my mind.
The first was the reality of Ecclesiastes 3:1. The King James Version uses the word "season" in that verse and as I began to look at my own life, the reality of my seasons stood out. The memories I had shared in the services revolved around me as a child - a time of innocence and simplicity. A time without a care in the world - just looking forward to the next time we would all be together. Flash forward to now, and I am in the position of trying to comfort and minister to my own family. I am the one who is telling the funny stories and chasing the kids. Things have changed. When I was small and hitting apples with sticks I sure didn't envision what this season would hold.
A second thought in my mind was the truth of James 4:14. Our lives truly are a vapor or mist. It doesn't matter how long someone lives, it never seems like enough time. Life is short. God knows the number of our days. The question is how are we going to use those days? If we lived in light of this Scripture how differently would our lives look? Would that spilled milk really be that big of a deal? Would those hurt feelings that you have carried for years over something silly matter that much?
The final thought that was most prominent in my mind during this time was the infinite goodness of our God. He gives us so many wonderful gifts in our lives. Whether we realize it or not, many times those gifts consist of people and moments in time. I am fortunate to have many of those in my life. You see, when the Bible tells us about heaven and what it will be like, many of the images used involve meals and family. As a matter of fact, the Bible ends with a meal around the Father's table. God gives us these gifts as a preview. A preview of the even greater reality of what it will be like to be with Him. It is almost as if we get a little taste here with the main course to come later. I have no trouble imagining heaven. I feel certain that there will be food. And yes, I believe there will be no shortage of laughter. Always remember that every good and every perfect gift comes from Him. (Jas. 1:17)
