A Time For Everything--Scattered thoughts currently on my mind

          "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens: 
                    a time to be born and a time to die, 
                    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
                    a time to kill and a time to heal,
                    a time to tear down and a time to build,
                    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
                    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
                    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
                    a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
                    a time to search and a time to give up,
                    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
                    a time to tear and a time to mend,
                    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
                    a time to love and a time to hate,
                    a time for war and a time for peace.


          God has made everything beautiful in its time.  No one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil-this is the gift of God."                               Ecclesiastes 3:4-13 (paraphrased)

I am still recovering from having our daughter Evangeline just over two weeks ago, but life doesn't slow down for this to happen.  Our parents have traveled thousands of miles to help with the children so I can get some rest and continue to recuperate, while countless neighbors and friends have provided meals to help lighten our load of responsibilities.  Zach and I both are back to work; the children still have their various activities, and we want to remember to not just get through days, but to enjoy them by playing with the kids and sharing special time together as a family.

The latter notion has been at the forefront of my brain as I have dealt with the loss of my Grandpa over the past couple of days.  We received word on Sunday night, that he had died after struggling with various illnesses and ailments made worse by his old age and overall poor health.  I felt guilty that I couldn't be there with my Grandma as she experienced this difficult time or get to say "Goodbye" to my Grandpa; I felt guilty that my parents also weren't there because they had come to help me and meet their newest granddaughter, and I feel guilty that I, most likely, won't be able to get back to Michigan for the memorial services.  I am also still learning that, despite my best "Type A" efforts, there are many "unexpecteds" in life that I cannot prepare for or avoid.

These verses in Ecclesiastes have reminded me that there is a time for everything, and although I can't always understand it, God does want us to enjoy this life, all of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I am working on finding the beauty and the joy in everything, and understanding that everything has a purpose and a time, in His time, not mine.  I don't have room for guilt over things I can't control; it does no one any good anyway. I don't have energy to waste on worry; there are too many things that I can affect that require it.  All I can do is strive to "be happy and do good while I live!"