It's like a top... it just keeps on spinning, even in various conditions. The dining room, the kitchen, the sidewalk... just give it a flat surface and the little gadget will impassively spin around and around. It doesn't matter if you spin it and then walk out of the room. It doesn't pause... it just continues until the force of gravity finally brings it to a standstill. Life is like that... spinning round and round... until its end. It may be short, but it's certainly a persistent little thing. And, like the aforementioned trinket, things do not pause when you leave or rewind when you return.
Perhaps life ought to be more like Tivo. Leave for a bit, and no worries, you can always press rewind when you return. That way my narcissistic desire to be included in everything I find pleasurable can be granted.
It's hard to be everywhere at once... unless you're the internet. Although I can't speak from experience, as I have never tried such a thing. I doubt I could handle the stress.
Either way, I sit here with the top. Wondering... should I continue fussing over my inability to savor all moments... lest the spinning top come to an...
I think you're quite right at the end of you're post in insinuating that to worry about lost opportunities for enjoyment keeps us from spending our short time on earth as we ought. You're post set me to thinking.
ReplyDeleteGod, in His providence, places us where he will. Where God places us includes certain opportunities and experiences, while it precludes certain others. However, God is always faithful to his people and does not deprive them of anything they need, and, in fact, delights to give them good gifts to enjoy (I Tim 6:17, James 1:17, Ps. 104:15, etc.). Of course we know that due to sin and the fallen state of creation our pleasure in this world can be thwarted and will always be intermingled with pain and sorrow, yet we remember we have a better hope, and that we go to a "better country" (Heb. 11:16). We can also remember (which I'm quite sure you do) that the main object of our pleasure in this life and the next, is in fact the one who is everywhere at once, yet always close to his people, God himself. Even if one could experience all the pleasures of this world, it is all vanity (Eccl. 2:1-11) in comparison with knowing God and serving him, which God has called and afforded the lifelong opportunity for each of his people to do in each of their particular circumstances and situations in life.
Very comforting words are those of God's when he says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). God calls us to quiet ourselves under the contemplation of himself, his works and his character. In our frailty we tend to fret against God, not properly taking into account who he is, what he has done, and what he will do. The very God who has ordained the life circumstances we face is he who sent his Son to suffer and die for us, who will never leave us nor forsake us, who is described as love itself, who is mighty and terrible, yet kind and merciful, and who in fact promises us "pleasures forevermore" (Ps. 16:11). The entirety of Psalm 16:11 is especially encouraging: "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Thanks for your wonderful long post. You're comment exceeded the length of my blogpost :) Which is quite all right! Keep it coming :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way- Psalm 16:11, one of my FAVORITE verses. Appreciate you sharing it on here!