Vanity, Vanity all is vanity says the preacher!

Greetings,

NOT MINE

In one sense it is true, it was all for vanity,  it was not for what I have at the moment, it is what I wanted and tried to attain............. A BEAUTIFUL LAWN.  It all started on Monday, I was to take Stephen the student (of Lamb fame) visiting but he had text me to say he was coming on a later train. This gave me extra time and I went down to my study to do a little research, however it was a lovely day, the patio doors were open and I wandered into the garden and gazed upon my 'lawn.'                             Now, you must understand, since I moved into this house three years ago and the new lawn was rolled out l had dreamed of a beautiful green sward with even stripes.....instead I had a garden with brown, green  and bald patches.....SO I BROUGHT IN THE EXPERTS .....they agreed to treat the grass....they also suggested that cutting it each week instead of fort-nightly during the growing season would be beneficial.

                                                         

   'GREENTHUMB'

      Finding myself with a spare hour before Stephen arrived I decide to cut the grass,  my lovely lawnmower started first time, cut a couple of metres and died of thirst......this is the important bit..... do I leave it to another time or do I go to the garage and get petrol?  I take the petrol can and go to the garage and while I am filling it another brain wave hits me, I will top up the car.  This is the very important bit......  I DO..

IT IS NOT UNITL STEPHEN AND I HAVE FINISHED OUR SECOND VISIT OF THE DAY AND THE CAR DOESN'T START THAT I REALIZE WHAT I HAVE DONE.      

                                                           HAVE YOU GUESSED YET?                 

My car is DIESEL!!!!!





My Lawnmower is PETROL!!!

 

With a red face and  apologies to Stephen I sent him on his way and rang the AA  to lift the car and take it to Charles Hurst

      Now.... I don't know your theological thinking on praying for a car...... I prayed .....and fervently, that I would not have caused any  internal damage by driving AS FAR AS Bannagh Corner.

A phone call that evening informed me that the car was  drained, flushed, pampered and restored without damage.  My LOUD PRAYER OF THANKS to God was genuine and deeply felt.  Praise the Lord!!!! He is good.

      I don't know whether  it was trying to absolve my stupidity and self annoyance but I began to think what if....what if Stephen had come on time.....what if I hadn't cut the grass........what if the lawnmower hadn't run out of petrol.....what if.....and then it hit me like a bucket of cold water, there are no 'what ifs' it was all down to me and the desire to have a beautiful lawn....it was then that phrase came to me 'Vanity of vanities says the preacher . All is vanity!   I thought I knew what it meant but did I?

      If we look at the NIV translation of the Bible it reads.   Meaningless! Meaningless! says the teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. Eccl. 1:2  The Hebrew word means 'breath or vapour, therefore  the earthly possessions we pride ourselves on are insubstantial, useless or futile. 

      King Solomon (the teacher) has everything, wisdom, power, riches, honour, reputation, God's favour and yet as he looks back over his life ...... all he has achieved seemed meaningless to him, he discusses the ultimate emptiness of all that this world has to offer and tries to show that earthly posessions and accomplishments are not important, what is  VERY, VERY, VERY important ......is the pursuit  of God.        It was a common belief in Jewish thinking that   good people prospered and wicked people suffered but Solomon had found in his experience this was not true.  Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes after he had tried everything and achieved much only to find that nothing apart from God made him happy. He wanted his readers to avoid these senseless pursuits and so he directs them to commit themselves to God to honour Him in all they said, thought and did.   Only by knowing, loving and accepting God would they find true satisfaction and fulfilment.

  Has anything changed? In our time people are unhappy, unfulfilled,  and disatisfied, searching for meaning in life. 

Solomon challenges our thinking, we need to take a long hard look at our lives as Solomon did and we will see how important serving God is over all other desires. It has caused me to rethink my values and desires, I have had a great lesson, an expensive one yes, but one I have taken to heart. Afterall  a stripey lawn is absoulutely nothing in God's great plan of Redemption.

FOR

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
Stuart Townend, Keith Getty

'How anxious are our cares, and yet how vain the bent of our desires!

Blessings to you and all whom you love,

May you have laughter in your eyes,

a smile on your lips,

a song in your heart,

merriment in your soul,

and share the joy that Christ has given you.

Your Pastor Heather xx