“’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’ What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.” Ecclesiastes 1: 2-4
Everyday, there are challenges– challenges big, and challenges small. We tend to find rhythm and routine in each day, overcoming these obstacles one right after the other. We fret about small things, overcome them, and plod on our way. When things are stagnant for a period of time, it’s easy to begin to feel hopeless. Lost in the monotony of life, it can often feel like nothing really gets better.
In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon has achieved the pinnacle. He lived the way he wanted, had access to literally every single imaginable resource, enjoyed a pampered lifestyle, and yet, he was still depressed. “What’s the point?” he wondered amidst all the luxury. “Why am I even alive?”
Have you ever felt that way? What’s the point? Why am I here only to live the same day over and over? Why even try when I’m so stuck in the same place I’ve been for years? It wasn’t until Solomon slowed down and noticed the little thing that he was able to see clearly, to understand the point of existence.
“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.”
Ecclesiastes 2:18-20
In the end, Solomon found that it was the little things in life that made the difference. Focusing on God, seeing the beauty in the everyday – these are the gifts that God gives us. That is the purpose of our one, small life. That is how we feel peace.
by Sydney Shrimpton
Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for the small things – for the holiday feasts and family gatherings. Thank you for looks of joy and the first snowfalls. Thank you for the good gifts you give. In all of the unrest, the fear, and the feelings of hopelessness, let us see these good gifts and remember that you’re in control of it all. Amen.