I have been studying Ecclesiastes and let me tell you what, it can be a real downer. Yesterday's lesson, ironically, not, ever, ironic, just a totally cool God thing that He loves to do to me, but anyway, ironically, yesterday's lesson was with regard to adversity. Seen much lately?
According to Mr Webster, the word adversity means "a condition of suffering, destitution or affliction; a calamitous or disastrous experience. " Well adversity is a depressing word isn't it? And I'm not entirely sure that I've been using it in proper context. Or perhaps, not using it enough or need to be using it for more dire situations. I'd say "adversity" describes our lives pretty well in this year 2020, wouldn't you?
Ironically, I went on to look up "adverse" which means "acting against or in a contrary direction; hostile." And then "advertise" which means "to make publicly and generally known; to call public attention to especially by emphasizing desirable qualities so as to arouse a desire to buy."
Desirable qualities. Hmmmm. So why does every single news station on every single channel "advertise" adversity? Isn't that what they are doing with these constant horror stories of pandemic, rioting, looting, murder. Is it because it arouses us? Are we buying it? Sadly, I'd say so.
Do I think the Coronavirus is real? Of course it is. Do I think it will kill me? No. And if it does? Well that was God's plan. God has a plan folks. And this mass hysteria isn't going to change it. It just makes for great news. And we keep buying it. Every, single word of it. Do you know, that if not for the news, well actually, if not for my mother, sister and husband, I wouldn't even realize ANY OF IT was happening. I feed cows. My cows are not rioting or murdering each other. Sometimes they get the Coronavirus but I vaccinate them for it. Sometimes they die but rarely do they kill each other. Sometimes they try and kill me but that's only because they are scared and I'm trying to make them do something they don't want to do. Is it the same with people? Are we trying to make them do things they don't want to do? Maybe.
Last week the Cowboy told me to haul four bulls to this sweet man down south a little way from here and he would pick two and I'd bring two back. Easy peasy. His exact words to Emma and I were "don't take the mean one." She was positive that she had sorted off "the mean one." And just FYI, if you ever buy a bull from me, I can't tell a lie. Just ask me if there is a mean one and I'll tell you.
So she loaded the cattle and off I went to meet this sweet, older man and is lovely, tiny, speck of a wife. We unloaded the four and they decided on the two they liked best and all the while one of the four was just getting madder, and madder, and ranker and ranker. Let's just say, Emma failed to distinguish, "the mean bull." He was alive and well and with me on the trip. This jerk of an animal put this man over the fence at least ten times. He hit the fence where she and I were standing at least 5 times. I was sure that one of us would soon be badly injured and since she was also watching two grandchildren, I really hoped it wasn't one of them. After an hour of trying to sort this mean sucker off, I looked at his wife and said "I know this might sound ridiculous, but when I get myself in these situations, I pray and then God loads the bull for me." I cracked up laughing but was completely serious. She said "It doesn't sound ridiculous at all and let's do it." She grabbed my hand and we said a little prayer. That bull was on the trailer in the next ten minutes. Adversity? YES! It was a very disastrous experience. I was sure these people who'd bought bulls from us for years, might never come back and I didn't blame them. But God handled it. So did Mr. Larry with some quick feet and panel changes but he used the brain God gave him and we figured it out. He was successful because two woman were praying over him and God gave him the wisdom to figure it out. Period.
In Ecclesiastes 7:14 it says "In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider - God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him. " The NIV says "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future."
Both translations say to consider "adversity" or "the bad times." Have you done that right now? I know I have. I get to look at it every, single day with the destruction of all that I own. But we are alive. Courtney Joseph says "Prosperity is a gift from the Lord and Solomon says to be joyful. But when adversity comes we are to consider that this too is from the Lord. God uses adversity in our lives to humble and draw us near to Him. Prosperity is not necessarily always good, and adversity is not necessarily always bad. Both can be blessings in our lives as we learn to surrender to God's Will."
God has given us the gift of prosperity and we are blessed. I know this. Actually, if you make more than $30,000 a year, you are blessed too. In the whole world, that is a big number. I'm not taking about the U.S. but world wide, we are blessed. We could all have things a whole lot worse. I am usually very joyful. But it hasn't come without a cost. We have worked ourselves to death. Do I love my job every day? No. But I do it anyway and try to the find the joy in every situation. And, we have nice things because we have worked really hard to get them. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO and I believe God rewards you for it. The Bible talks a lot about work. We are all supposed to do it. But we are also supposed to rest. That's the hard part. Finding the balance and the contentment.
The coolest thing I've seen come from this year of adversity for me is that I no longer crave shopping. In fact, it annoys me. And since I pay all the bills now, I'm outraged at what things actually cost! Emma and I took a trip to the mall this week and it was AWFUL. I love to shop in T.J. Maxx. I love, love, love it. Well for one thing, they have nothing. I might have been more excited if the shelves were full of things I didn't need but they were not. It was depressing. Most of the stores have NOTHING to choose from and secondly, I NEED NOTHING. Being out here, busy, away from the madness, soaking up the sun and the quiet, I have discovered that I really don't NEED anything. I haven't darkened the door of Walmart in three months. I did use the online pick up a few times but I'm done with that too. I'm buying local and not much. I'm shopping farmers markets, we of course process our own beef and I'm shopping in small grocery stores. And clothes? I wear the same nasty shorts and tank tops that I've worn for the past 10 years. The cows don't care.
Here's my point and I promise I have one. Let's use this time of adversity to advertise the good. Let's show that we can shine at all times and learn something good from the bad. God has a plan folks. He's still in charge of the universe. Not just our tiny little planet, but the whole universe. Let's celebrate our victories and learn from our failures. The bad happens for a reason. But most of all, let's talk to each other with a kind and loving spirit that only comes from within and try and put ourselves in other people's shoes before we judge them. Change is coming. Let that change be in your heart and advertise it to the whole world. We got this!
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