A Time for Everything

Scriptures: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

This morning, when I got in the internet, there on the home page, I found a couple of photos: one showing the closing ceremony of 2010 Winter Olympic and the other showing the devastation caused by the 8.8 earthquake in Chili. What an inharmonious scene! I think it actually made me feel uncomfortable then. How do we handle the emotion of joy and celebration and the emotion of sad and lost all at the same time? What could possibly bring them into one accord?

Please understand that I am not trying to downplay the significance of either event. These are both real events that took place within a 24 hour timeframe. I don’t have a problem facing this reality that both existed. But I wrestle with my own feelings as I look at them because, on the one hand, I want to give thanks to our Lord for His great gifts to the athletes through their accomplishments, many of them came with inspirational stories. For example, the Canadian Figure Skater, Ms. Joannie Rochette, lost her Mom just two days before the competition began. But, she skated to success and won a medal for Canada. How did she pull herself together for such a tough competition? It’s amazing and admirable!

When I looked at the other event which also came with many amazing stories, my heart went out to those lost and displaced people. News had it many lootings took place and, at the same time, many brave souls rose to the occasion. One story had it that, when the earthquake hit and brought down their 13 story apartment, a man and his daughter were on the 13th floor. They went and stood in the door frame of their bathroom. But the damage to the building was so great that the entire apartment collapsed and both the man and his daughter fell to the ground with the building. The amazing thing was neither of them was seriously hurt. He first made arrangements for his daughter and then went back to help the firefighter to rescue other residents of his apartment. How did he do that? Wasn’t he traumatized by the earthquake? I don’t know how he did it. But he is a hero to me!

The presence of these two events together reminded me of something Charles Dickens said in his book, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of the times … it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us …” I suppose life is full of this type of contrast, now or back in Dickens’ generation. Yet, how do I cope with the mixed feeling within?

As I pondered more on the amazing stories told, I realized that the Canadian figure skater and the man in Chili share something in common. Good or bad, they both face their circumstances with dignity. Good or bad, they both responded to their challenges with total commitment and with everything they’ve got.

Joannie might have lost her mother, but she did not lose the special gifts and the sense of mission given to her. The man in Chili might have lost everything he had in that apartment, but he still had his clear thinking, loving heart for others, and physical strength. In both circumstances, they took everything they’ve got and made the best use of them. More than that, they took ownership of the circumstance they were in. The result, they both rose to the occasion laid before them and came out as hero.

So what about my mixed feeling? Maybe that’s where I got lost because I shouldn’t be focusing on my feeling. The real issue is how I am going to respond to the circumstance, my circumstance, not others’ circumstances and what have I got that I can respond to the circumstance I am in with.

Bible says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot … He had made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11) Yes, there’s time for everything, for joy and for sadness. But, Bible tells us that God “made everything BEAUTIFUL in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) God seems to be telling me that the timing for each event / activity in life was meant to bring out something beautiful to give Him glory. If that’s the case, then be it “the best of times” or “the worst of times”, let’s respond to each circumstance God place before us with everything He has given us so as to make it the time for His glory!

Prayer Requests:
For those victims of earthquake in Haiti and Chili

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Lord of all. As we go through each of day in life, as You’ve given us, help us to live each one of them with sensitivity and willingness to testify for your love and grace through humility and actions. As far away as we are from those victims of earthquakes and other natural disasters, please move us to passionate giving so through our giving and sharing, Your love and salvation may be visibly and tangibly shared with them because we pray in the loving name of our Lord Jesus, Amen!