A Time to Keep

Hello friends,

I guess you can tell by my title on this blog, that I love Ecclesiastes, especially Chapter 3. "There is a time and a purpose for everything under the heavens." How lovely are those words to me. If you go back and read the first 8 verses of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, you will notice that for every action, there is an opposite reaction. It's also one of the laws of physics. Gee, I wonder who created "the laws of physics?"

Anyhow, I'm amazed that God, in His Word, gave such an understanding to Solomon; and that He would allow us to share in that. So, I chose today, "a time to keep." Sometimes it is hard to understand Biblical language, so I thought I would focus on this verse.

A time to keep. A time to work things out, instead of walking away. A time to keep mercy in our hearts. A time to keep understanding, even when I feel misunderstood. A time to keep my distance, when I must walk away from bad habits, from bad people, and bad things.

The opposite, of course, is "a time to cast away." These two go hand-in-hand. In order to keep one thing, I may need to cast another away. This is one of the hardest things I have ever done.

I come from a dysfunctional family. Cruelty was easy for them. Criticism, ridicule, and accusations were paraded as truth. "Why not insult someone. It's only the truth." I don't know why they were that way. I was often the target. I don't know why that, either. But I decided to take a different road. I decided that I'd rather heal, than hurt. I decided to forgive, rather than hold a grudge. However, in choosing that path, I had to walk away. I had to let go of my relatives, in order to keep my sanity. I had to cast away values that I could no longer live with. I desperately wanted to keep my budding relationship with God. I clung to my Savior, Jesus, and I walked away.

Yes, it hurt. Family is very important to me; but not a family who takes delight in hurting. I was given a choice...them, or Jesus. I chose Jesus. I have to have Him. I can't live without Him. In return, God has given me a wonderful family, in my husband, and in my two adult daughters. These devoted women are the light of my husband's and my life. I'm happy, and I'm not alone.

I guess my message is that sometimes we have to turn away. Sometimes, we have to leave the wrong thing, so that we can keep the right thing. It's not easy. In fact, it's plain hard, but it has been very healing.

A Time to Keep. A Time to Cast Away. I'm so thankful for the clarity of these words. Thank You, Lord, for all of your blessings. And when I was the last person on earth for You to have chosen, thank You, Lord, for keeping me.

With Love,

Jaye Lewis
www.entertainingangels.org
http://entertainingangelsencouragingwords.blogspot.com/