Choose to be Thankful
In the poem of "I wish you enough", the poem was in the setting of a parent and child saying a final good bye. The final good bye, if you would.
They were wishing enough sunshine to carry through the rain, enough happiness yet enough pain to be thankful for the happiness.
Enough loss to help appreciate the gain, and enough hellos to carry through the good byes.
The other evening Old Fuzzy pulled out the movie by the Kendrick Brothers, 'War Room', for our movie of the week.
In the introduction narration the narrator states: 'Part of life is death', and 'there is all ways something to fight for'.
This last month, or maybe it's been two months, there have been 'too many deaths' in our small world.
Sunday, November 18, one of our sons attended the funeral of a twenty-three year old co-worker. The young man, possibly driving too fast, hit a patch of loose gravel and rolled his car approximately six times.
What a tragedy.
Quite a number of years ago we had a barn fire. While the fire fighters battled the horrible blaze people gathered to watch, and I overheard a father tell his very young child, 'this is why you never play with matches'.
Our barn fire was horrific, but if I were a wagering person I would wager that didn't impact that child as much as the father hoped.
Why? It doesn't hit home near as much when it's someone else as it does when it's personal. We humans have a lot of capacity. Yes, we can understand the idea of a future.
We also play with the idea of chance. Yes, this happened to someone else. Perhaps they were playing with fire, but maybe I can...and it won't happen to me.
Well, part of life is death. Part of this world is good and part is evil. As is says in the book of Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes 7:2 "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3) Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 5) It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
It seems to be the opposite of what we would think. How could attending the 'house of mourning' (funeral) be better than feasting?
As in wishing 'enough', death should make us value our here and now, value our life more. Sorrow should help us appreciate joy and thanksgiving, and words of wisdom is more valuable than the songs of fools.
Sorrow for loss can open our eyes to gratitude of what is left. It can cause us to hold dear ones closer, to vow not to take others and what we have for granted.
Today is sunny. It is cold outside, but it's nice inside where I am. Today is what I have. I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalms 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5) For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."
