Some good advice

Reading through Ecclesiastes 12 today, I was struck by the sound advice that the 'Teacher' gives to his students:

"Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young, 

Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, 

Before your vision dims and the world blurs
And the winter years keep you close to the fire." - verse 1-2 (The Message)

I find it interesting that he joins together the idea of 'honouring God' and 'enjoying the Creator.' How often do we really think about enjoying being with the Lord? If you asked most people, they would feel strange about this, but it is such a wonderful concept. What do you feel? 

And then finally the teacher says (v.13-14)

"The last and final word is this:
Fear God.
Do what he tells you.
And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil."

May God continue to guide you as you follow in the footsteps of Jesus. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Reflections on the loss of a great man - Mr Dave Beetar

I heard the devastating news on Sunday of the loss of a true role model and leader in our community, Mr Dave Beetar. Dave, the recently retired headmaster of Merchiston Preparatory School in Pietermaritzburg passed away over the weekend, due to Covid complications. His death leaves a huge void in the lives of his beloved family, as well his school community and even further afield.  

A few days on, I still can’t believe it is true. I try to shake my head, hoping to clear my mind and somehow wake up after a bad dream. However, just a quick glance at social media reminds me that the news is true and the man we all thought was immovable and unshakable, is no more.

After the initial shock of the announcement, I have been battling to process this wretched news. I tried to figure out the injustice of Dave having worked tirelessly his entire life (the last 33 years at Merchiston) and on the brink of his retirement, he is taken from his family and our community.

That is not fair!

In fact, those were my exact words in my complaint to God – “That is not fair! Why now Lord?! Dave still had so many more years in him. He could have done so much more for the world. Our world needs wise people to help us navigate through the turbulent waters ahead! Come on Lord!!”

Even having had that very vocal rant before God, I am still not feeling any better. Dave’s death has coincided with my reading of Ecclesiastes and the last few days I have been completing chapter 12. It is easy to get stuck on Solomon’s words in verse 8: “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” And if I am allowed to be 100% honest – those were my sentiments exactly. What is the point, Lord!? Everything is meaningless! We work hard for our entire lives and then we are snatched away at some inopportune time. Surely, not Lord!?

As the mist begins to clear I am slowly inching towards the beginnings of acceptance, although I am sure I will have a few more rants with God in the future. I am sure that Dave would want us to pick up the broken pieces and to carry on living as best we can. So, I guess will slowly start to process the events of the last week and try to make meaningful sense of them.

On initial reflection these are some of the ‘lessons’ I want to take from this tragedy:

I want to honour Dave’s life by embracing my every breath as a gift from God.

I want to live my life to the FULL, in the here and now – not waiting for retirement or tomorrow to do something I love.

I want to be intentional about rooting out distractions in my life.

I want to pass onto others what God has given to me. It is only in giving of ourselves that we know the pleasure of God.

I want to be conscious of all the special people God has placed in my life – the people that make the journey worthwhile and who choose to walk alongside me.

A few years ago, Dave asked me to speak to his staff and to lead some prayers after a popular staff member had tragically passed away. I did what I could in the moment of grief and afterwards I remember how Dave and I chatted through some of our own deep emotions. Later, I passed onto him a little book I wrote entitled ‘NOW – Refuse to the moment pass!’ I had written this book after the heart-wrenching death of a friend and it seemed appropriate in that crisis to give it to him. Dave said he found it helpful and I know that he was already embracing many of the points I raised in the book. One of those quotes goes like this:

“Do it now. Do whatever you can right now!” – Thomas a Kempis

Dave was always ready (Ready Aye Ready is the motto of Merchiston School) to offer leadership, guidance, wisdom, care and compassion to all who needed it. Of course, he had to make some unpopular decisions in his years of leadership that they were always made with the greater good in mind.

So instead of trying to figure out why this happened to Dave, and the vexation of the situation, I am choosing to align myself with Solomon’s final comments at the end of his twelfth chapter: 

“Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

I think Dave would want that from you and I.

Rest in Peace, Dave.

Much love to Dave’s beloved family as they mourn the loss of a remarkable human being.

Living in Grace

Delme Linscott

 

 

 

Cattle prods and sticks

At first glance, people can be grouped into 2 general groups - those who are motivated by the 'carrot' and those who are motivated by the 'stick.' I am sure you know what I mean - some people like to drawn to do something by incentive, while others only work best when they are chased/prodded into action. Solomon realised this a long long time ago:

"The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." - Ecclesiastes 12:9-10

I feel that this also sums up many people in faith circles and churches. Some believers need to be prodded into action, while others are self motivated and willing to follow Christ without needed the stick.

If you are honest, which person are you at the moment?

"One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Quester

In referring to Solomon in Ecclesiastes, Eugene Peterson speaks of him as "The Quester." It is an unusual term and one that is not often used anymore, but refers to the person who seeks out something (truth in this case.)

"Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth." (The Message)

"Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true." - Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 (NIV)

What is it that we are seeking at the moment?

Have we found Jesus Christ as the answer to all our seeking?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Silver cords and golden bowls

"Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it." - Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

Okay, so what on earth is Solomon on about in these verses? What do silver cords and golden bowls have to do with us? What can it possibly mean?

Well, there are two schools of thought on this, with both of them reminding us of the fragility of life. 

First - the mention of silver cords, golden bowls, pitcher's and water wheels all possibly refer to the pulley systems that carried the precious source of water to the people. If these broke, then people would die of thirst. I think the image is helpful for us.

Second - it is thought that each of the items represents a part of the body that will eventually stop working as we near death. The silver cord represents the tongue; the golden bowl our minds/brains; the pitcher and pulley represent our hearts and internal organs. 

Either illustration helps us see that we should REMEMBER God while we can. While we still have our faculties we should worship the Lord and give him the praise due his name.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Remember Him

If you are following this series of blogs from Ecclesiastes then you may be as surprised as I am with the different versions of chapter 12. I am going to include some verses from chapter 12 (v.5) and you will see what I mean. The overriding message is still the same for today - we must REMEMBER the Lord in everything that we do. Time is short and we need to honour the Lord.

"Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral." - New Living Translation

"....when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
    and mourners go about the streets." (NIV)

What does it take for us to Remember the Lord today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

No teeth

Today's reading is tragic and humourous at the same time. I suggest it is tragic because it is the way that each of us must go in our old age, but we also need to hold onto our sense of humour along the way. Solomon's very descriptive analysis of old age gives me the impression that he is speaking from experience - no teeth, aches and pains, losing hearing etc. 

What do you think?

Ecclesiastes 12:3-5 - "For there will come a time when your limbs will tremble with age, your strong legs will become weak, and your teeth will be too few to do their work, and there will be blindness too. Then let your lips be tightly closed while eating when your teeth are gone! And you will waken at dawn with the first note of the birds; but you yourself will be deaf and tuneless, with quavering voice. You will be afraid of heights and of falling—a white-haired, withered old man, dragging himself along: without sexual desire, standing at death’s door, and nearing his everlasting home as the mourners go along the streets."

So remember to eat with your mouth closed!

“I have reached an age when, if someone tells me to wear socks, I don’t have to.” - Albert Einstein

God bless.

Living in Grace

D3LM3