For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven. Ecc. 3:1

We gather as friends, families, and communities to mark life’s transitions with ceremonies like graduations, weddings, baptisms, anniversaries, and funerals. When those we love experience important passages in their lives, whether happy or sad, it’s important for them to know that they have a support system in place to face whatever is next. There is no season of life that is meant to be faced alone.

Lord, show me how and when to be there when I’m needed.

Finishing is better than starting.
      Patience is better than pride. Ecc. 7:8

We can run out of energy and enthusiasm as we approach the end of a  long project or school year.  The final product may not be what we hoped and there are always things we could have done better.  Even if pouring our best efforts into a strong finish does not significantly improve the outcome of the current project but will change the way we approach future projects. 

Lord, give me the patience I need to finish strong.

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Ecc. 11:4

Trying to figure out perfect timing and optimal conditions can lead to analysis paralysis. Nothing will ever get done if we wait around for perfection and certainty. When we accept that risk and change are inherent to living life we can begin to live with less fear and greater effect.

Lord, when I freeze up remind me to keep moving.

It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.  And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.  Ecc.5:18-19

Life may be  punctuated by big, epic moments but most of it is made up of our simple, every day routines. If we accept God’s purposes as our purposes and His goals for our goals we increase the pleasure we get out of life. We can savor the moments, recognizing the provision and treasuring the people He’s put in our lives.

Lord, thank you for all life’s simple gifts.

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both. Ecc. 11:6

We only have so much time and energy; plus, everything we have to do is not equally interesting. That said, we increase the chance for fun and profit when we invest and engage rather than just doing what we have to do because we have to do it. We don’t always know when God will turn everyday responsibilities into phenomenal opportunities.

Lord, help me to seize the day.

The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill, for time and chance overtake them all. Ecc. 9:11 (KJV)

We don’t always get what we feel we have earned. Factors outside our control can mess up our plans even when we do everything right. Fortunately our assets are of no eternal consequence and our worth is derived from Christ.

Thank you, Lord, that grace that is not dependent on my own strengths and abilities.

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecc. 3:11

There are mornings when it seems as though God has created a new shade of orange for the sun. There are times when the impact of ocean waves confirms God’s power. Our hearts were designed to experience awe, and nature is a only a glimpse into the awesome experience of actually knowing Him.

Lord, I am awed by all You have made, all that You’ve shown me of Yourself, and all You have yet to reveal.