How interesting that there was once a very popular band that sang a very popular song from a very well-known bible passage.
It was 1965, and in “Turn, Turn, Turn,” they sang from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven,” it starts. Here is the rest, with two takeaways at the bottom:
“A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what 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;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
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.
Two takeaways:
1. What will 2017 be “a time for” for each of us? What can we intentionalize and shoot for this year?
2. What “purpose” might exist for some of the tougher events we’ve had (or expect to have) in this season of life?
I really like the “times” to laugh, to dance, to embrace, to gain, to love, to have peace. I pretty much don’t like some of the others. But the author (and the song!) brings the encouragement that there is a purpose, a reason…and we become a better version of ourselves by knowing what time it is and what purpose is there, rather than bemoaning or becoming victimized.
Make it a great and purposeful week, -Doug