Freeing My Mind

So I think fall is coming early. I don’t know why, but I sensed it in my spirit a few days ago and told Lori. Today its the  middle of the day and only 70 degrees. For all of my Celsius friends, that’s 21 degrees C. Pretty uncommon for this time of year. I also think it’s going to be an abnormally cold winter. It’s interesting that every time a season change begins to take place, I’m always ready for that change. I was really excited about summer around May, but I’m so done with it now. That’s why I’m growing my beard to unprecedented lengths. I guess as an act of faith.  Maybe your saying to yourself, “Wow, Craig, slow day?” Yeah I guess. Talking about the weather seems to go against my belief against forcing small talk, but it gives me an opportunity to share some enlightenment.

Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. (Eccl 2:24 – 3:1)

I adore the book of Ecclesiastes. It got me through another intense change in my life and I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. I really relate to the author (Solomon or otherwise) and his journey in discovering that some of his cultural traditions carried out in the name of God, were actually crafted by man. He comes to an understanding that as nature is dictated by the changing of various seasons, so are our spiritual lives. He found that with each changing of the season, he was always battling to keep the change from happening. Finally he said, “Screw it. I’m just going go with it.” In doing that he realized that he didn’t have as much control as he thought. When he surrendered to the changing of the seasons, he found his purpose within each season. To try and stop the change was simply grasping for the wind. He goes on to say in chapter three that, “God makes everything beautiful in its time.” I love that. Within each place of our lives, God finds beauty. Something to stop and stare at. Something to admire. Stop trying to live in the summer when fall is here. It’s time to stay inside a little more. Calm down. Mellow out. God’s in control, let Him do what He does. Grow a beard.

Much love

and my inspiration for today