With Age Comes Wisdom? Not Necessarily: Day 4

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher, “Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:1

Meaningless is another code word in Ecclesiastes. It is a pretty dark word in English, but in the original Hebrew, it signifies things which will pass away, which have no permanence. Think: Here today, gone tomorrow.

The other day an e-mail came from our daughter. The subject heading read: “Something I Wrote.” Our daughter is a busy pastor’s wife and the home-schooling mother of four, ages 7-14. This year their oldest will be attending a private high school. I want to share a part of what she wrote with you because it so poignantly captures the fleeting nature of life “under the sun.” And because it is beautiful writing.

… I drive by the park near our old house. The trees tell the story of how many years have passed. They were once staked down and young, like my babies. Now they sway, lush, overgrown, as they block my view to the park. “It’s probably best,” I think. “I could not handle seeing those swings, that sand.” I don’t need to see them. I see my baby girl swinging for the first time, smiling. Because that’s what she did. No matter what, she smiled. And I loved every moment, so I told myself to never forget it. And it worked.

How many days we learned to walk and ride bikes and “wait for Mommy.” A stroller was pushed, a tricycle helped along or my pregnant, swelling abdomen slowed our pace as we anticipated the fun we would have. We would swing and sing. We would laugh, run, get thirsty, pull out those sippy-cups. We would get tired and be ready for lunch and a nap. We would bring trucks to play with in that sand. We would go for longer walks and eat wild blackberries as we pretended to be lost in some wood.

God, in His grace, looks on those with me. He saw, He sees, He cherishes. He knows. He also beckons me to more. He calls me to release my heart to Him. He says I can laugh at the future! That’s something on which I will have to take His word. My hatred of change, the passing of time means I must let them go. He only asks that I wait, I trust in Him, I let Him be my everything. He gives me the desires of my heart. He already has, but they keep growing up! This life is not my own. This death is one I cannot comprehend. Even my heart is not my own. God, help me believe this is good news! (Leigh Shirah Thune)

Nancy Shirah