Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“ I have no pleasure in them”:
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
Dear God,
I remember when I was "young" (cuz i am still) I used to give much value to these two verses. I even wrote verse 13 in a page and paste it in the wall behind my bed. I rejoice in verse 1 cuz I had the chance to serve you in my youth. I didnt think the the difficult days and the years when you say,“ I have no pleasure in them” would really come. I thought things would always stay the same. I would always spend at least 20 hours or more in church every week (which I did). Now, Im barely going on the weekends.
Ive been thinking why these days are so difficult. The 10 hr or more work day? The sickness that has struck me this year? The housekeeping hazzles and the wife responsibilities? Hmmm...
I have learned a wonderful lesson that I constantly share with my siblings: I admire my mother more and more each day. And sometimes (even right now) thinking of this brings me to tears (Im crying right now...) To think that my mom had such a demanding job, had the whole responsibility of the household, had to raise her children alone, had to deal with her sickness on her own, and the list can go on, and I never heard her murmur, or loose her laughter, or loose her strength, or loose her joy. Yes, it was inmensely hard for her, and yes she had her ups and downs. But oh how i admire my mother. It bring me to tears that my days seem difficult to me, but I always have my loving and caring husband by my side; yet my mom did it all on her own. Yes, I have always admired my mom and have tried to serve her and to be a helping hand to her. But now my admiration for her is greater.
So I pondered on my mom. She had time for us, and doctors, and appointments, and job travels, and bank lines, and grocery shopping, and school appointments and presentations, and studying her master, and.... Church. Oh yes, how difficult her days are! And oh how she remebers You!
So, are my days really difficult? So many married couples married longer or with kids would probably tell me it is just getting started. And some would rightfully says my days are not even close to being difficult. Yesterday I went to have dinner with my hubby on a baleadas stand in la kennedy. Best baleadas in Honduras. And a little boy came and asked us for a baleada. Not money, just a simple baleada. I bought the baleada and asked him to sit and to eat with us. He is in fifth grade, but he is so small you could swear he is in first grade. He said that after school he and his seven year old sister split up. He asks for food and his sister asks for money. They eat of what people gives him and use the money for transportation to their home. While he ate with us and told us his story, I was giving him the Gospel. Other kids that live in the street approached our table and asked him (not us) to share his meal. He gladly shared his drink and baleada with the two kids that came to him with a smile on his face. He is still young and his days are difficult!
Oh Father, my eyes really need correction. Not the eye contacts that Ive been waiting to arrive cuz my eyesight is worse each day, but the eyes of my heart. Difficult days? Solomon was speaking of men under the sun. But we are Your children. You take care of us and provide for us and fill us with peace and joy beyond understanding. It is beyond my understanding how amazing my mom is. It is beyong my understanding how children who live like that smile so much, are not full of resentment or anger, and are able to share generously.
I dont have time to remember my Creator because I am on the difficult days? No. I have been toiling in the deeds of this world. This is why my days have been difficult. This is why I have not found any pleasure in them. I felt such joy sharing with that little boy. I want to use my days, of my youth and my adulthood and my senior years to remmeber my Creator and serve You more than 20 hrs a week and more than just at church. I want that to be the dream for my future, not the car or the house or anything that gives "security" and "prosperity" that the toiling of labor under the sun wull give you.
Father, help me have that in my life. Have the pleasure of spending my days remembering my Creator, fearing You, keeping Your commandments, understanding this is my all, rejoicing in Your love and mercy, and making time for this rather than the toiling under the sun. Thank You for Your Word, for the example I have in my mom, and for that little boy. Thank You for always changing my heart back to You and opening the eyes of my heart for a sight a focused eyesight on You.
1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“ I have no pleasure in them”:
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
Dear God,
I remember when I was "young" (cuz i am still) I used to give much value to these two verses. I even wrote verse 13 in a page and paste it in the wall behind my bed. I rejoice in verse 1 cuz I had the chance to serve you in my youth. I didnt think the the difficult days and the years when you say,“ I have no pleasure in them” would really come. I thought things would always stay the same. I would always spend at least 20 hours or more in church every week (which I did). Now, Im barely going on the weekends.
Ive been thinking why these days are so difficult. The 10 hr or more work day? The sickness that has struck me this year? The housekeeping hazzles and the wife responsibilities? Hmmm...
I have learned a wonderful lesson that I constantly share with my siblings: I admire my mother more and more each day. And sometimes (even right now) thinking of this brings me to tears (Im crying right now...) To think that my mom had such a demanding job, had the whole responsibility of the household, had to raise her children alone, had to deal with her sickness on her own, and the list can go on, and I never heard her murmur, or loose her laughter, or loose her strength, or loose her joy. Yes, it was inmensely hard for her, and yes she had her ups and downs. But oh how i admire my mother. It bring me to tears that my days seem difficult to me, but I always have my loving and caring husband by my side; yet my mom did it all on her own. Yes, I have always admired my mom and have tried to serve her and to be a helping hand to her. But now my admiration for her is greater.
So I pondered on my mom. She had time for us, and doctors, and appointments, and job travels, and bank lines, and grocery shopping, and school appointments and presentations, and studying her master, and.... Church. Oh yes, how difficult her days are! And oh how she remebers You!
So, are my days really difficult? So many married couples married longer or with kids would probably tell me it is just getting started. And some would rightfully says my days are not even close to being difficult. Yesterday I went to have dinner with my hubby on a baleadas stand in la kennedy. Best baleadas in Honduras. And a little boy came and asked us for a baleada. Not money, just a simple baleada. I bought the baleada and asked him to sit and to eat with us. He is in fifth grade, but he is so small you could swear he is in first grade. He said that after school he and his seven year old sister split up. He asks for food and his sister asks for money. They eat of what people gives him and use the money for transportation to their home. While he ate with us and told us his story, I was giving him the Gospel. Other kids that live in the street approached our table and asked him (not us) to share his meal. He gladly shared his drink and baleada with the two kids that came to him with a smile on his face. He is still young and his days are difficult!
Oh Father, my eyes really need correction. Not the eye contacts that Ive been waiting to arrive cuz my eyesight is worse each day, but the eyes of my heart. Difficult days? Solomon was speaking of men under the sun. But we are Your children. You take care of us and provide for us and fill us with peace and joy beyond understanding. It is beyond my understanding how amazing my mom is. It is beyong my understanding how children who live like that smile so much, are not full of resentment or anger, and are able to share generously.
I dont have time to remember my Creator because I am on the difficult days? No. I have been toiling in the deeds of this world. This is why my days have been difficult. This is why I have not found any pleasure in them. I felt such joy sharing with that little boy. I want to use my days, of my youth and my adulthood and my senior years to remmeber my Creator and serve You more than 20 hrs a week and more than just at church. I want that to be the dream for my future, not the car or the house or anything that gives "security" and "prosperity" that the toiling of labor under the sun wull give you.
Father, help me have that in my life. Have the pleasure of spending my days remembering my Creator, fearing You, keeping Your commandments, understanding this is my all, rejoicing in Your love and mercy, and making time for this rather than the toiling under the sun. Thank You for Your Word, for the example I have in my mom, and for that little boy. Thank You for always changing my heart back to You and opening the eyes of my heart for a sight a focused eyesight on You.
No comments:
Post a Comment