Ecclesiastes 1-2

(December 9, 2014)

                I was reminded of the emergency broadcast system that sometimes pops up on the television or the radio.  It will announce that it is a test, and reiterate that “this is only a test.”

                We need that reminder ourselves.  We ascribe so much value on our brief mortal existence – value that is completely unwarranted.  This life is a test – it is only a test.  When we try to make it something more, we lose sight of what is really important and work to bring about our own destruction.

                Heavenly Father kindly gives us blessings and joys along the way.  These serve to build our strength and give us courage to deal with the next challenge we must surmount.  But facing impossible challenges is not an extraordinary condition of mortality – it is the purpose of mortality.  If we are not facing challenges to the very limit of our capacity, either we are part of a brief resting period or there is something very wrong in our lives.  We don’t have decades without trials unless we are not living in such a way as to be able to progress.

                We don’t have to look for challenges, nor do we need to allow ourselves to be mournful in our adversity, but we should be willing to allow the Lord to refine us and to put our trust in Him that not a tear will be wasted and that He can make us into the person we need to be.

                All is vanity except this.