TURN, TURN, TURN
In 1959, folk singer Pete Seeger composed a melody with three-thousand-year old lyrics. Popularized by The Byrds in 1965, the words to the classic hit Turn, Turn, Turn, were directly lifted from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and at time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck…” Interwoven into the lyrics are the words, “Turn, turn, turn.” The earth continues to turn, as we move through the stages of life—even after we’re gone.
During this season, as my wife is in the process of passing through the veil into eternity, I’m finding comfort in Ecclesiastes. Normally we don’t read this book of wisdom in in times of grief, because it’s not exactly warm and fuzzy. However, it stands as perhaps the most profound book in the Bible, as it puts life in perspective. It gives us a grasp on the world around us—especially when life doesn’t make sense. Directly following those lyrics, verse 12 states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” God has “made everything beautiful IN ITS TIME.” Birth, youth, adulthood, old age, and even death each possess a unique form of beauty, and each reveals a different aspect of life.
God has also “set eternity” in our hearts. There is a longing deep within each soul for more than this world—a yearning only God can fulfill. Then Solomon states that no one can fathom what God is doing. We can’t understand God’s ways. We’re wasting our time when we attempt to figure it out. It’s a mystery too deep to fathom. I don’t understand why someone so full of life as Linda is being taken from us—but I trust God.
It’s impactful and sobering. I’m born, live on this planet for a brief moment…and then comes eternity. Only eternal life makes sense out of “life under the sun.” Otherwise, it’s despairing, disheartening, and depressing. Why live another moment if this is all there is? But injecting God into the equation, changes everything. With him we have hope, joy, and purpose in the midst of a world that continues to turn, turn, turn.
UPDATE ON LINDA: As you can tell from the words above, Linda’s time grows short. Hospice tells us it could be hours; it could be days. She’s been saying that she falls asleep and wakes up in another dimension, and that she wants to go into that dimension—like squeezing through a hole. She’s getting ready. She responds when we wake her up, but only for a moment. God is so good. He’s meeting us in amazing ways, bringing joy and peace with his presence. I don’t know how to describe it—but it’s very real. Thanks for all your prayers and expressions of love. They make all the difference.
Principle: Life is meaningless without God.
Ponder:
What is there in life that could possibly have meaning for you without God?
What beauty do you find in your current season of life?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Ecclesiastes 3:1-14.
Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for every season of life. Remind me that everything is beautiful in its time.