Skip to main content

Ecclesiastes 3: Sadness

I remember when my daughters were about 5 and 6. I was driving the icy highway between Nipawin and Tisdale Saskatchewan. It was Spring time. The weather was changing but this afternoon there was black ice on the road. I hit the black ice not speeding, but going too fast. I lost control of the car. It crossed the road, hit the ditch and rolled over a time or two. I was completely disoriented and in shock as I looked back to see if my kids were safe. The car was upside down. I remember undoing my youngest's seat belt while she was dangling above me, only to have her plummet down to the ceiling. We were fine. I was in shock. I wandered out into the highway; no one hit me. The police and other help were there right away. The car was written off but none of us had a scratch (Maybe Sarah-Grace a small scratch from when I undid her seat belt.)

The next day or so I drove that same stretch of road (in a different car, as that one no longer ran). I pulled the car over to the side of the road where the other car had flipped. I got out of the car and I looked around. It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing; the snow was almost gone; the black ice that we slid on the day before was certainly gone. It was a beautiful day. And then it struck me ...even if we had all perished in that car crash yesterday, it would still be a beautiful day today, the birds would still be singing, the snow would still be melting and the ice would be gone. As a new pastor then, this remembrance has struck me at every funeral that I have been a part of. The beauty of life continues. As sad as life can be at times - and it can be sad; I have been sad. As sad as I can be. Tomorrow somewhere, for someone, the birds will be singing, the snow will be melting, the ice will have gone away; it will be a beautiful day

 More daily blogs at:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Judges 13:1-7: Strength

Covenants are important to the Lord. I am reminded of Samson. Samson was bound by a covenant without an expiry date (Jdgs 13:7) that he did not even willingly enter into (Jdgs 13, Cf. 1 Sam 1, Lk 1, Lev 27.28-29) and he struggled to keep. Samson was not to drink nor was he to defile himself. Samson was however a liar at times (Jdgs 16:7ff) and a killer (Jdgs 14:19). He visited prostitutes (Judges 16:1). He put himself and others ahead of God at times (Jdgs 14:17). Samson disobeyed his vows. Samson transgressed his covenant with God. The Lord did not forsake him though (Jdgs 16:22, Rom 3:3,4). At times Samson did follow the Lord’s direction. At times he experienced the blessings that accompanied his covenant. At times Samson drew on the strength of the Lord and was used greatly by God to accomplish His purposes. At other times Samson sinned. Every time Samson turned to and drew on the strength of the Lord, the Lord delivered him. No matter what Samson did, the Lord did not leav...

Low Saturday (Genesis 3, Revelation 21)

  Hello, I am Major Michael Ramsay from TSA. As well as running The Salvation Army, the Bread of Life soup kitchen, shelter and The Salvation Army thrift store, I am a Christian pastor / teacher. This weekend is Easter. That is the most important time on the Christian Calendar. Christians acknowledge Jesus as God. Our teachings tell us that God, as creator, created the whole world. And when He did it was perfect. Not only did we not harm each other, ourselves or the earth; but we never got sick, we never got injured; and the earth itself – the trees did not fall to the ground and die. Animals did not eat animals. All of creation was in perfect harmony. The Creator even walked in this Garden He created with people He created. Then something happened. The first people created made a choice.   Because of this choice, death, decay, harm and hurt entered the world. Where there was none before, now there was illness, injury and death for all of creation. Plants, animals and al...

Luke 24:38-34: Revelation of a King

James V, the King of Scotland used to go around the country disguised as a common person. That is because he wanted to meet the everyday people of the country not just the rich and powerful. He wanted to see how the normal people lived. One day he was dressed in very old clothes and was going by a place known as Cramond Brig, when he is attacked by robbers who don’t know who he is. There is a fierce struggle and he is nearly overcome when, at just the right moment, a poor farm worker - Jock Howieson - hears the commotion comes to the disguised king’s aid. Now Jock, the poor labourer, who works on this portion of the King’s land, Cramond Brig, unawares takes the undercover king home and gives him a dinner of broth and Jock - as the king is recouping – naturally asks the man who he is. The King responds ‘I’m a good man of Edinburgh.’ ‘And where do you live in that city and where do you work?’ ‘Well,’ says James, ‘I live at the palace and I work there too.’ ‘The palace, is it?...