Ecclesiastes - back to Muddy Paws

So... through some random events, I decided to read the book of Ecclesiastes. A book of the Bible I hadn't read in about ten years. I couldn't even tell you what it was about or what I might read in it. So I started reading it and I had to laugh out loud, it sounded like what was going on through my head throughout the day.

"Get up, kiss the husband goodbye, let the dog out, let her back in, wipe her extremely muddy paws off (because it hasn't stopped raining in weeks), hug my kid, get him and his buddies breakfast, check my email, do some coaching work, clean up breakfast, put away last night's dishes, break up a fight between my son and his buddies, clean up, take the dog and my son and his buddies for a walk, get them lunch, sit down and write one email, clean up lunch, put on a show so I can eat lunch and have a few minutes of quiet.... and the day goes on and on, and over and over I say to myself, meaningless, 90% of what I do day in and day out is meaningless... I am not saving lives, I am not curing cancer, I am impacting .000001% of this world.... really does anyone care that I wipe my dog's paws when she comes in from a swampy back yard? Maybe my husband, but really he only notices if I don't wipe her well enough and she leaves marks. Most of what I do are things that no one will EVER NOTICE. Not a boss, not a friend, not even my son will remember what I did for him today. He wakes up from his nap, needing something else, onto the next thing. And so sometimes I find myself questioning, why? Why spend this part of my life doing things no one will ever notice, no one will ever even care, it will never impact a soul. My son may walk around with a dirty face and hands, his buddies and him might never learn how to share, learn their ABC's, or learn 'Twinkle, Twinkle' but does it really matter, or is it all meaningless?"

And so I began reading Ecclesiates in this state of doubt, frustration, despair and to my wonderful surprise, the author agreed with me, he, himself was asking these same questions, thinking these same thoughts. Over and over he sorrowfully laments, "this too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." He also states that "I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me." (vs. 17) Even the titles of the chapters "Pleasures are Meaningless, Wisdom and Folly are Meaningless, Toil is Meaningless, Advancement is Meaningless" seemed to be whispering the same notions I was screaming in my head "my life seems meaningless a lot of days!!"

But while the author a Ecclesiastes is lamenting about the meaninglessness of life, he also starts to find nuggets of hope. Amongst his sorrow, he charges in with the most well known chapter "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun. (3:1)" And he follows it up with "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is a gift from God. (3:14)"

He continues to find nuggets of hope inside each little part of life. He also examines the heart of the wealth, the proud, and all of those that are not content in life. He uncovers the truths about our human nature that wants us to be unhappy and discontent with life. Satan wants us to find meaninglessness in this life. He doesn't want us to see past tomorrow, past our toil, past our soil and into Heaven and what God has in store for us there. He wants us to focus on the ugly and hard part of our lives and stay down in the depths of the depression that this causes us. But God gives us the gift of contentment and satisfaction of this life if we ask Him. If we walk with Him and are humbled by His all-knowing plan. We don't know what will come next. I don't know how many more days it is going to rain and I am going to have to wipe my dogs damn muddy paws!! But He does. He knows. And He begs us to find contentment in His plan and His guidance. He asks us to participate in a satisfaction for life. A satisfaction of the toil of the everyday life we have here on earth for a little while.

The author of Ecclesiastes ends with this verse: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (12:13)" It is our duty to enjoy life, find satisfaction in the toil of everyday life, to live by the commandments, and trust in God's plan.

As I lament in my wearisome mundane life, I have to use my moments when I feel nuggets the Holy Spirit is teaching me. For how much I dread washing my dogs feet, I am reminded of how Jesus washed his disciples feet, how my mother washed my feet as a child, how I wash my sons feet. It is humbling to think that God has a plan and a purpose for the washing of my dog's muddy paws and my attitude has to be a satisfaction in the toil of that everyday duty set before me.