"To Every Thing There Is A Season..."

Are you tired of all of the bitching and moaning on social media? Folks shouting out their opinions, or quoting made up stories by “Sharing” them, no idea if there is ANY truth to them. “Bandwagoneers” is what I call them. They don’t know, OR CARE if what they are sharing is true or has any validity to it, it just makes a point they want to make. Decreasing their credibility.

This isn’t about that. Here’s a story, all fact, that will leave you with a good feeling on the inside.

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35.

Shortest verse in the New Testament. Maybe the most powerful. What could make the Son of God weep? Pain? Grief? Humility?

On January 3rd, it started snowing. I’ve seen it snow before. But not like this. By the end of the work day, driving home was dicey. Really dicey. We don’t have 4x4 anything, and they aren’t known for having a world class snow plow system here. In fact, I seldom see a plow. It’s not like in the 801, where they’ll actually start getting roads ready for snow the night before a big storm is forecast. .

January 4th would become a snow day. We got as far as backing out of the driveway. And we couldn’t get back in. A neighbor used a strap to help us get our mini-van close to the curb. And I sent the boss a text. “We are stuck. I’ll be home unless you send someone to pick us up.” And as an adult, I got my first snow day.

About two hours later, two folks turned up outside and began to work on our driveway. Now, it was mostly clear, but not complete. They cleared the driveway down to the street, then began working on clearing the street. One of our Church members and his son, uninvited, had appeared to make our lives easier. Never mind that they had to park about 75 yards up the street and then walk in knee deep snow to get to us. Never mind that we weren’t their first stop. They cleared enough snow in the street so that we could get our van moved and back into the driveway. Then they cleared our neighbors driveway.

All in all, they, with others, would help clean 15+ driveways that day. They just showed up and cleared driveways. Most never asked for help. These guys just showed up out of the kindness of their hearts.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction , and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

For some of us, we reach a point in our lives where we have to actually realize, we can’t do everything we used to do. Suddenly, we are no longer “bullet proof!” You know, when you realize you have to make two trips from the car to the kitchen because you can no longer carry in all of the groceries in one trip. Sometimes we have to realize, our ability to do everything isn’t what it used to be. Many things cause that. Loss of limb. Diminished eyesight. Chronic disease. Lingering issues from disease. Maybe the result of an accident.

Dad used to tell me that for all of the good that some people do in this world, sometimes, they need something good done for them. It’s like the, “It’s better to give than receive,” thing. You can’t be the only one giving. Someone else needs to give. It’s like when you see people ask for prayers. No matter why, they ask, people start replying that they are praying. People need to pray. It’s one way that we serve one another.

“17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” Mosiah 2:17

Dad told me, “We all need blessings in our lives. And we all need to help others. But at some point, you need to let others help you.” It’s one thing for someone to give you a gift, but it’s a totally different experience when someone comes out and does physical labor on your behalf. It’s not the same as paying someone to mow your yard. Someone comes out and does something for you. No charge. That’s humbling. And THAT will make you weep.

This past week I found a post from a church member who had access to a free washer and dryer. Our daughter needs a washer and dryer. She’s a single mom. A couple of phone calls and a few text messages later, pickup and delivery are scheduled, and now done. All because you can still find in this world, people who want to help other people. And as she stood looking at the newly installed “new” washer and dryer, she wept. 

A couple of years ago, through an organization my wife is involved with, I was allowed the privilege of helping to deliver three complete Thanksgiving dinners to families who, otherwise, would not have had such a feast. The families were selected by school officials based on need. Sometimes the “need to receive” is greater for some than others. These folks were grateful, excited, and yes, they wept.

We weep for a lot of reasons in our lives. Tears of pain. Tears of grief. And tears of joy. 

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13
“1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”

Let’s get past “A time to hate.”