Sunday, May 22, 2011

A Time for Everything

On November 2008, I've been given the opportunity by my company to travel to Germany to attend a two-day-seminar. I had the most memorable and fun time of my life exploring the sweet little town of Weimar. On the other hand, I don't remember much about the seminar though.

Below, is one of my most loved photos of all time, taken at a quiet little street during that trip. Something about this photo speaks volume, at least to me. When I look at it, I wonder who painted the picture on the letter box, children perhaps, or street painting artists? And I'm not even sure that that was a letter box, it might be a garbage bin, or just a metal box. Perhaps the shop owner invited someone to paint something that would be in line with what he is selling, timepieces. Sometimes, I love these unknowns, so that I may create my own story and let my imagination run wild.

If you ask me, I'd love to believe that kids were here, laughing and painting and creating this beautiful piece of art that would eventually capture my heart. When I look at this painting in the photo, I see two friends playing with a pink ball, I see a little girl at school, I see another girl being alone, I see some clocks showing different time. And all these, reminded me so strongly of the Word of God, which is beautifully and flawlessly written in the book of Ecclesiastes, that there is always a time for everything.



Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~ A Time for Everything
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace.
 
Some days I feel victorious, other days I just feel totally defeated, days like today. When life is not so good, when darkness falls and I start to stumble, when I can no longer find the right words to express myself, when smiling becomes the hardest thing to do, when tears can only double my sorrows, when my world comes to an abrupt end (or so I thought), I am always comforted by this powerful Word of God.

Someone once wrote:
God did not promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain;
but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for our way.

And I thank God for that.

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