www.writeasrains.net

We all go through tough times and people try to cheer us up by saying "it's
part of God's plan," or "when God closes a door, he opens a window." Easy for
them to say when they are not the one who has justfaced adversity, lost a job,
loved one, or been ditched by a spouse.

But it is only by going through the tough times that we can truly appreciate the
great blessings that God gives us. For the worst day you experience in your life,
He gives you an equally great day--and that is one of the most wonderful
things in life.

It is no surprise that the1960's group, The Byrds recorded that song Turn, Turn,
Turn, with the words taken directly from Ecclesiastes: To every thing there is a
season...and a time to every purpose under Heaven. Those are powerful words,
and they are words of hope.

We will never have "the wisdom of Solomon" and never know what God has in
store for us---we can wish we could find out---but it will not happen until we
meet Him face to face and ask him. The task for us is to live our lives and do the
best we can, honoring God in all we do

Have you ever tried to read the Bible only to give up because of all of the
"be-gats," long names, and violent stories in the Old Testament? Here is a
suggestion: Start with the New Testament and then go back and read the first
part of the Bible. The New Testament is full of interesting stories, guidance, and
hope.

Once you have read the Gospel and all the other chapters you will feel
energized to start with Genesis. The main thing about the Old Testament is that
it contains many things that can cause a person to question God. After
finishing the first part of the Bible (which if you do this would then be your
second part) it is good to re-read the New Testament to be reminded of how
God changed His approach to reaching his people.

When they did not listen to Him, he decided to send Jesus, in the form of a
person that humans could relate to. Whether you are Christian or Jewish, both
religions pray to the same God and even though Jesus is the center of the
Christian religion, both groups are seeking to find their place in the world in
relation to God.

The book of Ecclesiastes is an interesting, yet sometimes difficult to understand
explanation of Godly wisdom. Some of the book seems negative and pessimistic
but one thing is for sure: God has set a time for everything, and part of gaining
wisdom is realizing you have no control over things, but that we should live our
lives enjoying the common normalities of every day life.

You have a choice every day. You can be defined by your failures, your "bad
luck," or what you think your parents did to you, or you can choose to enjoy
your life.

While it is easy to fall back on excuses, it is so much more gratifying to try to
prove to yourself that YOU will be the one who comes through this life with
shining colors. YOU will be the one they write books about and use as an
example. YOU will be the one who pulls yourself up and becomes an inspiration
to others.

Take the time to enjoy your life every day. This does not mean going to excess.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 says "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine
with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works." (King James version). If
all you do is eat too much and drink too much, you will certainly not have a
"merry heart."

This Bible verse is not a free pass to overeat, get drunk and party. It is rather s a
metaphor for: live each day to the fullest. A key to living a happy and enriched
life is to work hard, but also take the time to enjoy your life.

We all have to make money, but a medical emergency that puts a loved one in
the hospital will suddenly put it all into perspective.

Ecclesiastes has lot of good information in it, especially for the Biblical
scholars. But for regular people like us, there is one great message which can
help make our time on earth so much better:

Eat, drink, and be merry!

Jeffrey Meyers is a minister,
author, has served in the U.S.
Army and he holds a masters
degree in theology. He has
written a good book that helps
explain the book of
Ecclesiastes from the Bible.

He knows a lot about the Bible,
but he also has a pretty good
grasp on what it takes to be
happy. His wife and children
are big sources of happiness
for him and in the
"acknowledgements" section
of his book he thanked his
wife:

"For 27 years she has been
the stability of our home and
the source of constant joy for
me in this altogether vaporous
life. Heeding Solomon's sage
advice, we have had many
relaxing evenings together
over a bottle of wine..."

His book, "A Table In The
Mist" was published by
Athanasius Press and is
available on Amazon.com

Have you ever wondered "how
the airport keeps track of all
those planes?" Meyers asks
in his book.
"On the ground you can
formulate a very sketchy idea
of the overall plan, but you
cannot see all the planes that
are being maneuvered and
guided according to some
hidden plan. You need to be
taken up to the control tower."

He goes on to say that Biblical
wisdom is "not all about
getting a privileged seat in
God's traffic control tower of
the world."

"The mistake is to think that
biblical wisdom gives one
control."

In this book which takes a
look at Ecclesiastes and helps
the reader understand it
better, author Jeff Meyers
points out that "The wise man
learns to walk by faith and not
by sight."

There is a lot more in the book
than what we have chosen to
focus on here, so you'll just
have to get the book and read it
for yourself.