A Time for...

My lesson this morning was on the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, and its first eight verses.

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

It was a great conversation about various stages of our lives, and in a class full of folks who have lived their lives quite richly, it was a time of sharing a lot of what the years have taught each one of us.

My favorites were a time to throw away, and a time to be silent -- two things I almost always have problems with in my own life... I hate to throw things away; you can never tell when you might need it again. I have gotten better with the keeping silent piece -- listening has become more important to understand. Another sign of age... and understanding.

A lot of new topics to write about have popped into my mind lately, and I am going to get them down in words. I think the book I've started (and a few friends have read the first chapter) needs some attention and addition so that will undoubtedly help...