Boots on Dock, mixed media, 46×27, Click for larger view.
Boots on Dock, mixed media, 46×27, Click for larger view.Following on from accepting things as they are,
here’s more counsel from the Ecclesiastical sage:
When things are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider:
God has made the one
as well as the other.*
Accept things. Also accept your emotions.
Be happy and don’t feel bad about it.
Smile when things are good.
And when they aren’t, don’t resent the smiles of others.
Easy times and hard, God has made them both.
Note that it doesn’t say, “When things go bad, get mad, sad, or like you’ve been had.” Ecclesiastes passed up all those chances for (English) rhymes. Rather, it says, “consider” (and where’s the rhyme in that?)
Consider what? For starters, that God made one as well as the other.
Job said, Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.** It’s part of life since the fall . . . and the spring, summer and winter, too.
Whatever comes, take your bat and swing.
Hit, strike or foul, you’re still in the game.
Or walk . . .
You’ll find great grace in a walk.
Happiness, a wonderful emotion. It’s good for the bones; it helps the face. Be happy as much as you can and as often as you can.
But when things are hard, accept it, reflect on it, learn, deepen faith.
Don’t put on a false smile; God doesn’t expect it and it’s not honest.
Depth is one of the values He wants . . . and we want.
Good times and bad.
Both are of God.
Try and be happy.
And when you can’t, face it, learn from it, and move on.
Either way, things will change.
___________________
*Ecc 7:14
**Job 5:7
Our Lives Together
Its About Life
12:38 pm
Thanks Hyatt. Great wisdom here and I love the way you put it into words.
2:28 pm
Thank you Hyatt :) love your insight :) we all have to deal with both and it is good to feel that we are all normal and having to deal with both – hopefully more good than not :) you are definitely one of the things that make people smile and that is definitely good
2:58 pm
Amazingly, or maybe not, you speak to my thoughts. Thank you for reminding me that God is in both…and that in both things are sure to change. I love the statement “Don’t put on a false smile; God doesn’t expect it and it’s not honest.” It’s refreshing and rarely said. Smiles are so much more beautiful when they are given from the soul.
8:49 pm
You have noted a very real truth about God. He knows the range of our emotions and will not be shocked or alarmed. We think we have that much power, but we do not. Live and learn and move on is sound advice. Thanks.
7:45 am
Might be one of the greatest realizations for American young people as they blossom into adulthood: you will not always be blissfully happy, and it’s OK. In fact, it’s not just OK, it is just one state of being in a huge tapestry that God has woven for us. To rage against, or pout, or resent all of the other states of being that God has given us is to miss out on life, truly. Striving for a constant state of bliss, feeling that something in your life is *wrong* if you are not in that space is a huge problem in our society imho. Our challenge is to help our young people, from the time they are little, understand this. A big challenge in a world that is constantly selling them the myth of instant happiness just add…..(money, car, drugs, clothing, plastic surgery, the latest gadgets etc., etc., etc.,).
Thank you Hyatt, once again for such a wonderful post.
9:21 am
Excellent meditation. Ecclesiastes is right on the street where we all live.
6:06 pm
Great reminder that I needed to hear today. God never said there wouldn’t be the pits. He did promise to give us the strength to endure, hope to hang on, and comfort when we feel crushed. Sometimes when you hit rock bottom you find the Rock. That is a very good thing.
“The Lord has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” Isaiah 61:1, 3
8:30 pm
Mostly silently, I continue to enjoy what the Sage has offer to give lift to the wings of life when the turbulence is a bit heavy. Now, would the “Sage” be you or the other one? Not saying. Could be both. So, who do I thank?
How about this: Thank YOU? (That’s how I say God’s name sometimes, too).
4:52 pm
I love the last sentence. “Either way, things will change”. It’s not permanent, but temporal. When you’re in it, seems like it’s gonna be forever, but it’s not. To know change is taking place gives hope. Thanks again Hyatt. Looking forward to seeing you and the group tomorrow.
10:09 am
I agree with Pil…I love the last sentence..itis something we should all remember when we are faced with adversity and difficult times.
This is wonderful Hyatt! Makes me realize that if all we had were good times and good luck…we would be miserable because we would have no ability to appreciate our good fortune. :)