A week or so ago I spoke to a friend from back home who recommended that I read Ecclesiates. So I did…. Twice. The first time there was no revelation. It was as if I was reading it dead. So that's when I decided to read it for a second time and still nothing…..
This morning I woke up and the very moment I opened my computer skype began to pop up and I was receiving a phone call from my sister. This was awkward with it being extremely late for anyone from home to call me. I waited for the video to load and to my surprise it was my sisters husband. He said his hello then shared that he had some terrible news. Our step-dad who is like another dad to us received a phone call informing him of the death of his twin brother.
I was at a loss for words.
Knowing I will be in India and may not have any access to the internet my mom and step-dad skyped me this evening. I received their call as soon as our taxi cab pulled up to take us to the airport. I saw them for about a minute. That was long enough for the pain on my step-dads face to puncture my heart. His face looked like nothing I have ever seen before.
It made me think of a child. His face had a child like vulnerability to it that I've never witnessed and it broke my heart. It hurts that someone I love so dearly is hurting so bad and all I could do was share a few words followed by a goodbye.
With my teammates patiently waiting, I reluctantly close my computer and tears flood my face. I shove my bags in the taxi and try to find words to share with my two teammates. It was at that very moment I received revelation from all that I read in Ecclesiastes.
While riding in the cab listening to some song about a guy sleeping with tons of women I think about how dead that song really is. How meaningless that song is. I began to think how meaningless so many things are. How life can just be taken away at any moment and then what? What about all of the money you've been storing up, what about the drinking habit you love, what about the materialism.
Everything is meaningless if it does not involve Christ. Plain and simple. Your life can be taken away in an instant and if Christ doesn't know you then your life, your entire existence on this Earth, has been meaningless and dead. If you live a life without Christ you have never begun to live.
"Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God." Ecclesiastes 5:7
Praise God there is hope for us! A little over two years ago my life was completely meaningless until I cried out to a God whose love for us is so strong and powerful it changes the desires of our heart. All we have to do is surrender our lives to Him. All of this is not to say that my life does not have any of these meaningless things in it but, I'm trusting and believing God to open my eyes to and set me free from the areas that have some kind of hold in my life.
I just want to encourage those who are reading this if you are living a dead life all it takes is for you to truly be fed up with it and cry out to Him. This scripture holds so much truth.
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." Psalm 126:5-6
To Ronnie and my Mom here is a song that God gave me to share with you. I love you and I'm praying for you.
