Sunday evening I shared God’s wisdom from the book of Ecclesiastes. This ancient book is as contemporary as today’s newspaper, in fact it is more current as it is scripture that is alive and applies to each of us in our daily life. The writer of Ecclesiastes shared his reflection from his experiences in his life that would seem ‘rich’ to most but actually was empty without God. Whether we realize it or not or choose to admit it, all of us are in a daily pursuit of fulfillment, purpose and joy in our lives. We, like the author or Ecclesiastes, seek this fulfillment in many ways. Sadly enough, many come to the end of life with regrets as the pursuits did not give us the life we thought they would. Others overlook and miss the daily joy of life as they have a desire for other things, as Jesus described with the seed sown among thorns in his parable of the soils.
Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote “When All You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough” based on Ecclesiastes search for a life that matters. I loved one sage piece of advice he shared from an unlikely source when he wrote, “I remember reading an interview once with an 85 year old woman from the hill country of Kentucky, who was asked to look back over her life and reflect on what she had learned. With that touch of wistfulness that inevitably accompanies any statement beginning ‘If I had it to do over…,’ she said, ‘If I had my life to live over, I would dare to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would be sillier, I would take fewer things seriously…I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles but fewer imaginary ones. You see, I one of those persons who never went anyplace without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do again, I’d travel lighter.’”
Jesus says it this way in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." The writer of Ecclesiastes searched for meaning in life and became obsessed with death. He saw the grave as the great equalizer awaiting all. He never knew anyone who came back from the grave, therefore much of life seemed to be meaningless and a great burden from his perspecitve. The 85 year old from Kentucky looked back and thought of a more enjoyable way she could have traveled along life's journey.
Jesus tells us to learn from him. He has experienced life, death and came back to share the way to find meaning in this pressure packed life that often overburdens us. When we come to him and learn from him taking his mission as our undertaking we find rest for our souls. As we look for purpose and meaning in our journey let us learn to lighten the load by trusting all completely to Jesus. So when you feel as if the pressures of life are so heavy to the point that it seems as if you are under a personal attack take a breath and look to Jesus who tells us in John 10:10 that there is one who comes to rob and deprive us of life but “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
