Solomon, the wisest man that lived, blessed with every earthly pleasure, felt that it was all useless. Everything is meaningless if life is not centered on God. How many people do you know who have the world but are still miserable?
The conclusion of the book is:
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (12:13)
Keep his commandments.
Commandments in a nutshell: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.”
“…the greatest of these is love.”
I have only seen my father cry a handful of times. Maybe only once or twice during a movie, but I have seen him choke-up on a number of occasions. There is something about seeing a grown man break that awakens the soul. Not just any man, but my father. As a little girl, dad was THE man. The greatest on earth! As I’ve grown to know him more, so have I grown to value his wisdom.
This particular emotional moment was brought up concerning his parents, naturally. He described the worse feeling he has ever witnessed in his 50 years of earthly-existence. Through this whole ordeal he has helplessly watched his father in the most gruesome of pain. No doubt anyone would agree that it would be awful to see such an event, or even the thought of losing such a loved one is heartbreaking. Yes these are all realities of the human existence. But this was not what my father called the “worst.”
Something you should know about my grandpa. He grew up surviving the great depression in the worst kind of way. Youngest of 7 kids with his single mother. He beat all the odds, graduated college and built a life for himself and his family with his own two hands (almost literally). He saved every penny he could for the future. Work, work, work. Save, save, save. All through these years he knew the value of keeping mental and physical health and doing everything possible to keep the inevitable decay of life at bay. Of course he knew this day would come, we all do.
Dad, after just witnessing his father go through such horrific pain-complete with moments of coma where the brain shut down the body to escape it-describes the scariest emotion of all:
the moment grandpa looked up at my dad after struggling with a math puzzle. His eyes met dad’s with big, round childlike eyes expressing fear. Fear is what struck my father in the heart with a pin. Grandpa was realizing that the bitter end was near, that he was actually losing his cognitive abilities.
Grandpa had retired and had all this money to enjoy it with so he thinks he feels regret. Regret for not living the life he thought he should. They should have traveled the world! He tells me now that while I’m young, enjoy what I can no matter the cost. Is that what will bring me joy and happiness when my end comes?
Dad says no. Dad’s thinking is that what grandpa thinks what would make him happy, and what really would have brought him joy, are two different things.
A life well lived is knowing God and keeping his commands. To listen, and to love. To love God’s people. Our soul purpose on this rock is not to see what we can gain, but is to see what we can give. To enjoy life!Take the time to smell the roses, to hear the birds, feel the breeze, love.
Grandma is also fearful. She lived under grandpa’s wing since she was the tender age of 17. As she realizes she is about to lose her life partner, she is also realizing this is not her world any more. Computers, airplanes, cell phones, and internet all are beyond her. Not only is she a stranger, now she will be alone.
Thinking back to my visit to Europe, I was an outsider to the world I found myself in. Even if I knew how to get around by myself, having someone who was a native (even if it was just a child) would have been comforting. To just not be alone.
Though I am young and naïve in so many ways, I know I am here to love. to love by service is what I thought. I was struggling a bit recently with the thought that I wasn’t doing enough. That I was more of a burden than actual help or value. Sure I can do little house keeping chores but it all seemed meaningless. This realization by my father awoken my senses. Even if I am just here to listen, to be a friend in this crazy world, I help in the smallest way of comforting which may not be so small at all.
This is me learning how to love. And that, I think , is the most fulfilling thing of all.
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