<</div>Chasing the Wind Through the Recession
"I have seen all things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 1:14 NIV)
Last week I wrote on spiritual balance, inspired by the change of seasons. The dark depression of late winter in the Rockies kicked in just about the time our family's economy bottomed out. When Spring finally dropped her bags in the front yard and our meager Mom-and-Pop business began to pick up slightly, I was overwhelmed with joy and given to an outburst of wordy celebration. It is always appropriate to celebrate each day as a gift from God. It's just easier when the sun is shining.
If you have been reading my blog or have visited my website, you know that I love Jesus Christ passionately, and I try to trust Him with all that I have and all that I am. That being said, I'm still spending far too much time trying to figure out how to get what I need and what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm trying to make sense of it all. Therein lies my dilemma.
I believe with all my heart that God has called me to write. I've done my best to be obedient to the heavenly vision (see My Utmost for His Highest, July 6 , by Oswald Chambers.) Yet the Recession has reduced our income to the point where we can't pay our bills. Meanwhile, we just received notice that our health insurance premiums will soon exceed our mortgage payment in their ability to wipe out our bank account. The logical course of action would be for me to secure a second bookkeeping job, which would toss my fledgling writing career out the window. This contradiction seems to fly in the face of what I thought I heard. All this confusion makes me dizzy, so I dropped to my knees and prayed for wisdom. The familiar verse about chasing the wind popped into my head, so I followed that rabbit trail back to its source.
The author of Ecclesiastes didn't have to worry about the Recession, or anything else, for that matter. Ecclesiastes is considered a book of wisdom, nestled between the great Hebrew poets who wrote the wise and beautiful Proverbs and the sensual Song of Songs. Widely attributed to King Solomon, scholars will argue until they die over who actually wrote Ecclesiastes. The Teacher (as he called himself, and for whom the book is named) could have been any number of wise men of different ethnic persuasions over the course of about five hundred years.
The sentiments he expressed could have been written by any man or woman who has ever graced the face of the planet.
"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV)
Wealthy beyond our wildest imaginings, the Teacher lived long before Jesus was born. In today's terms, he had it all and did it all. He denied himself nothing- but nothing was exactly what he came away with. All his pleasure-seeking and prosperity-building failed to explain the unexplainable. Why did his riches not grant him peace of mind? Why did his achievements not satisfy his heart's longings?
Why did every man- rich or poor, foolish or wise- die? What was the purpose of life?
Most of us wouldn't mind having the Teacher's problems. Personally, I'd just like to find affordable health insurance. But as I read his lament, I understand his pain.
I'm not as fatalistic as the Teacher. As we'll see over the course of the summer, the author recounts his life's experiences through a decidedly cynical lens. His musings reflect the seeming futility of life. Because he lived before the Messiah came, he didn't even have the hope of heaven or the comfort of the Holy Spirit. But we will visit him every week and see how he came to find the answers he sought, even as I seek to understand my situation.
In the meantime, my confusion serves as the vehicle sent to deliver me to my divine appointment. Admission is free. I just enter on my knees.
Last week I wrote on spiritual balance, inspired by the change of seasons. The dark depression of late winter in the Rockies kicked in just about the time our family's economy bottomed out. When Spring finally dropped her bags in the front yard and our meager Mom-and-Pop business began to pick up slightly, I was overwhelmed with joy and given to an outburst of wordy celebration. It is always appropriate to celebrate each day as a gift from God. It's just easier when the sun is shining.
If you have been reading my blog or have visited my website, you know that I love Jesus Christ passionately, and I try to trust Him with all that I have and all that I am. That being said, I'm still spending far too much time trying to figure out how to get what I need and what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm trying to make sense of it all. Therein lies my dilemma.
I believe with all my heart that God has called me to write. I've done my best to be obedient to the heavenly vision (see My Utmost for His Highest, July 6 , by Oswald Chambers.) Yet the Recession has reduced our income to the point where we can't pay our bills. Meanwhile, we just received notice that our health insurance premiums will soon exceed our mortgage payment in their ability to wipe out our bank account. The logical course of action would be for me to secure a second bookkeeping job, which would toss my fledgling writing career out the window. This contradiction seems to fly in the face of what I thought I heard. All this confusion makes me dizzy, so I dropped to my knees and prayed for wisdom. The familiar verse about chasing the wind popped into my head, so I followed that rabbit trail back to its source.
The author of Ecclesiastes didn't have to worry about the Recession, or anything else, for that matter. Ecclesiastes is considered a book of wisdom, nestled between the great Hebrew poets who wrote the wise and beautiful Proverbs and the sensual Song of Songs. Widely attributed to King Solomon, scholars will argue until they die over who actually wrote Ecclesiastes. The Teacher (as he called himself, and for whom the book is named) could have been any number of wise men of different ethnic persuasions over the course of about five hundred years.
The sentiments he expressed could have been written by any man or woman who has ever graced the face of the planet.
"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV)
Wealthy beyond our wildest imaginings, the Teacher lived long before Jesus was born. In today's terms, he had it all and did it all. He denied himself nothing- but nothing was exactly what he came away with. All his pleasure-seeking and prosperity-building failed to explain the unexplainable. Why did his riches not grant him peace of mind? Why did his achievements not satisfy his heart's longings?
Why did every man- rich or poor, foolish or wise- die? What was the purpose of life?
Most of us wouldn't mind having the Teacher's problems. Personally, I'd just like to find affordable health insurance. But as I read his lament, I understand his pain.
I'm not as fatalistic as the Teacher. As we'll see over the course of the summer, the author recounts his life's experiences through a decidedly cynical lens. His musings reflect the seeming futility of life. Because he lived before the Messiah came, he didn't even have the hope of heaven or the comfort of the Holy Spirit. But we will visit him every week and see how he came to find the answers he sought, even as I seek to understand my situation.
In the meantime, my confusion serves as the vehicle sent to deliver me to my divine appointment. Admission is free. I just enter on my knees.
Posted by Rachel Ophoff at 6/18/2010 4:23 PM 
Categories: Trust, Job, God, Faith, Prayer, Christian Writer, Hope, Jesus, Christian Blogger, The Bible, Acceptance
Tags: Recession Celebrate Faith trust prayer finances
Categories: Trust, Job, God, Faith, Prayer, Christian Writer, Hope, Jesus, Christian Blogger, The Bible, Acceptance
Tags: Recession Celebrate Faith trust prayer finances
Comments