| "To
everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the heaven" EccI 3:1.
"He hath made everything beautiful in
his time" EccI 3:11.
What a blessing
it is to be aware of the season in life we are living
in. I like to divide life's seasons as follows: birth
to 12= Childhood, 12-21= Young Adulthood, 21-40 =Adulthood,
40-60=Mature Adulthood, 60-80= Senior Adulthood, 80-100=Post-adulthood.
All through
life, we should focus on our eternal
destination. It keeps us from becoming distracted. I just
finished reading an autobiography , The Pianist
by Waldyslaw Smilman. It is a record of his suffering
in Warsaw during WWII. I found it fascinating how the
pianist survived in isolation for days on only a few stale
bread crusts and filthy water. He kept his sanity by lying
still and mentally rehearsing his music. As a consequence,
six years later, when he returned to his vocation, his
stiff fingers quickly regained their original skill.
The world today
is so complicated! Even our diets and recipes are a conglomeration.
Remember the KISS formula: "Keep It Simple
Sweetheart"? We can't be all things to all
people, so why clutter up our lives trying to satisfy
everyone? Let us appreciate the gifts of others while
we focus on developing our own talents.
Before we clutter
up our lives by acquiring extras we ought to ask ourselves:
-
"Do I have extra time?"
-
"Do I have extra space?"
-
"Do I have extra money?"
Mother Theresa,
Mahatma Ghandi, great leaders, and most importantly, our
Lord, Jesus Christ, set examples for us by simplifying
and purifying their lives. They were dedicated. And, even
though we have not been called to serve with such distinction,
can we still strive to keep first things first? Can we
bear in mind: "That which does the most good
for the most people for the most time
is right"? It seems as though modem man is always
"fluttering in all directions and flying
in none. "
Instead of
trying to master a large variety of musical instruments
at the same time, why not focus on one or two and become
more adept? Instead of trying to master many musical selections
at the same time, why not master a few that will bring
joy to our listeners and satisfaction to ourselves?
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