Our text today is Ecclesiastes 3:1
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
Some years ago, my wife, my daughter, my two little grandkids and I took a short road trip. A short little 275 mile road trip. When I take one of those by myself it is short. When you take them with a wife, a daughter and two young grandkids, it is not so short. I had forgotten what it is like to travel with kids. On our trip there we stopped six times. The first time was for me to get money. The other five times were for kids.
The next morning I took the kids down for the free continental breakfast. I got food for each kid and then went to cook a waffle. I took it to the table. I went back to cook a second waffle. I got my food and sat down. I had to get up to get syrup. Finally I sat down to eat. I didn’t know about bathroom breaks during breakfast – another interruption. Finally their mom arrived and I could eat.
What does that have to do with the title “Passages?”
Gail Sheehy wrote a book called “Passages.” In her work she says that life has many passages. As we grow we change. Life in our twenties is different than life in our thirties. Life in our fifties finds that we have gone through many passages. Life is different.
Here we remember again our text: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecc. 3:1)
Life changes. It is okay. It is great. Joy does not come because we are in a great place. Joy comes by enjoying the place wherever we are.
Coming back it was just Liz and me. Going down we had six stops and lots of laughter. Coming back there were no stops and no laughter. I missed the stops.
Enjoy wherever you are in life. It is all you have. It is the passage you are in. Savor it.
~Lonnie Davis