A pooped thought.

Hello, my pretties. Yes, I wanted that to come off as creepy as possible, and yes, the title for this blog is just gross. In all reality, I did not poop (yet)... but I did have a thought! (Very quickly. I am reminded of the movie 'The Goonies', where Chunk's lies are being revealed, one being Michael Jackson never came over, and he says "okay... but his sister did!!". I'm glad this was useless information) Moving on...

I'm not very sure if this blog will be read beyond my use of the words 'God' and 'Christ', but at this point, I don't care. I really had this laid on my heart and I felt compelled to share or maybe I'm just compelling. You decide.

So, I was reading Ecclesiastes tonight and I found that the term "all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind" was used nine times throughout the book, and I felt overwhelmed. Sure, I'll tell you why! Last Thursday, a really great guy came to speak in front of us. He's actually the guy who started the first hip-hop church of its kind in America - right here in Tampa. It's called Crossover Church and he spoke on the book of Ecclesiastes. It's about a the richest man who had ever lived. Not even Bill Gates could compare to this guy. His name was King Solomon and he reigned over all of Israel. He was a great man of God, because he chose to seek Him before everything. When Solomon asked for wisdom and power from God he would receive it. It wasn't until his riches had built up, his wives added up to 700, the people of Israel bowed to him and worshipped him as some god, that he lost sight of what God had given him. It's in Ecclesiastes where his thoughts are revealed and they're poured out into, what seems like, a hurricane of emotions. I've never read something like this... it truly opened my eyes:

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow."
vs. 1:1-11

This is coming from a man who had everything that you could possibly imagine. People would do anything to even sit in his presence. He was bigger than your most admired celebrity, and yet, he was so, so unhappy. He was still so lost.

"I thought to myself, 'Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.' Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." vs. 1:16-18

"I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I thought in my heart, 'The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?' I said in my heart, 'This too is meaningless.' For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!" vs. 2:13-16

He started realizing that his knowledge and wisdom of everything that he thought he knew was just meaningless. It meant nothing... without God.

"What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account." vs 3: 9-15

"When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth—his eyes not seeing sleep day or night- then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it." vs. 8:16-17

I believe it was when I read those verses, that my little mind was no longer boggled. It wasn't that I did not have faith, that I lost my sight in Christ - it was the fact that, sometimes, I feel like I dig so much for some kind of answer, that I forget there is nothing I can comprehend. I cannot comprehend even how much Christ loves me. I just accept it. I have to accept even those moments that I do not what is going on - I have to trust. It took King Solomon years upon years, riches upon riches, and sins upon sins to finally realize that nothing can compare to God's grace and His plan. His plan is to give us these things Himself, but only by seeking Him first. Solomon stated -

"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart." vs. 5:19-20

King Solomon ended in saying this...

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." vs. 12:13-14

Whether you're a believer or an unbeliever, this entire story was amazing. I've never read anything like it. Sometimes you just forget. Sometimes you get caught up in the mess of society and all it wants you to be. Sure, I would love to be wealthy, but I would want my focus to still be on God. Because that's the whole meaning behind being blessed. It's come from one person, from one source, and there is no one else to thank in the end.

I'm sure this caused some eye rolling, and that's fine. I'm not trying to push God onto you, that's your choice, and in the end, God's word to change your heart.

Anyway, I should probably get to bed. I have to be up for work, and I have yet to invest in that Billy Mays alarm clock idea, so I will be sure to sleep too late.