I had not one but two parties back to back. As I washed my crystal I thought about how much I was enjoying having it. Some of my goblets were family heirlooms. They had been wedding gifts from my husband's grandmother. I pulled a stepping stool close to my china cabinet and was putting a goblet on the top glass shelf when it happened.
I stood there frozen not able to stop the scene in front of from happening. As I watched the top shelf crashed into the second shelf which in turn crashed into the bottom shelf. I felt like I was watching a horror movie. My beautiful crystal and china was sliding off the shelves and exploding on the hardwood floor. All I could do was to scream,"NO!"
Then there was silence.
I climbed down from the stool and looked around at the dust and shards of broken glass that had moments before been family heirlooms. I got the broom and swept a spot for me to kneel. I thought to myself ,"If Job worshiped God when he lost everything surely I can worship God in the midst of broken glass."
I believe that tangible things can be used to teach us intangible truth so while I knelt there I prayed and asked God to speak to me. This is what I heard,"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"... Remember him--before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from,and the spirit returns to God who made it." Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
As if to emphasis this message the phone rang it was my sister. "Sarah, we think Dad has had a stroke." I went to see my father at the hospital. His nine children were crowded around him . My father recovered but I began to understand the meaning of Ecclesiastes that day.
Life is a gift. It is beautiful, precious and fragile. One day dust will return to dust and the spirit will return to the God who gave it.
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