Learn To Appreciate Life.
Ecclesiastes 11
KJV
7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
8+ But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
I remember the days of my sojourn in the UK, where in the company of fellow African students we did what is called “ window shopping!” almost every weekend We do this to “feed” as it were our eyes with new “vanities” which is what Solomon meant by ;
“ Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:”
To paraphrase “ truly life is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see beautiful, wonderful things that brighten life!”
The second part is a reminder, and has to do with the aftermath of living “ a good life”; how to factor in the “dark days”!
“But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many”
Truly, associated with every sweet thing is bitterness for there is no gain without suffering; it is these that give meaning to life. The law of opposites!
We indeed appreciate love when we’ve experienced hate and rejection. We appreciate riches when we’ve experienced need and deprivation!
We learn to appreciate the importance of good health when we’ve suffered from illnesses that restricted our movement and the enjoyment of life.
As has been suggested by the wise, to appreciate life in its entirety visit the following places , the hospital, walk through the Wards to see the conditions of the in-patients!
From there visit the attached mortuary, this time do so in the early hours of the day to see how those who departed overnight are brought in from the Wards!
Before you leave, seek permission from the attendants to be allowed to peep into the cold room to see how the dead are arranged in the freezers.
The only thing that identified then is the number tags tied to their legs. They are not known by names but by numbers! What an end, you’ll ask?
After a few weeks, visit the
Prison to see the life and conditions that pertain there! It’s a world on its own with rules that are opposite to those that pertain outside the prison walls.
What will strike you most is the limitations or restrictions! A set time to come out to the open and a set time to go back into the overcrowded cubicles! The sweat and human stench alone are enough. Your freedom is curtailed.
And the final place to visit should be the cemetery! This is the most serene and quietest place you’ll ever find on earth. Underneath every tomb is a human being who once lived and walked among us.
While there, spend most of the time reading the inscriptions on every tomb especially the dates of birth and death. ( DOB and DOD) !
You should never be the same if you complete the visit to these places, as you’ll learn to value each day of your life. You’ll also appreciate the value of good health and freedom, more importantly you’ll learn to be humble!
Finally, you’ll come to appreciate and understand the saying “ we brought nothing and shall take nothing away “.
A thought to share!