“Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions.”
Ecclesiastes 7:10 ( NIV)
The Lord was pleased when He offered King Solomon anything he wanted, and all he asked for was wisdom.
For that, God gave him a “wise and discerning heart, such as no one else would ever have after him.”
(1 Kings 3:10-12)
That was a great gift, and with all that wisdom, he wrote three books in the Old Testament. In today’s scripture, Solomon, the wisest man, tells us that it’s not wise to ask why the good old days were so much better. It definitely is not wise to do, because I’ve found if I dwell too much on the past, or on who or what I have lost, it affects my state of mind, and can easily put me in a state of depression.
Solomon is right, that we should not spend today worrying about yesterday. Jesus also told us not to worry about the future. We cannot change the past and only God knows what our future holds, so
that leaves us one option; to live in the present.
There is a lady named Virginia, who lives in Maine. She is 103, and still working in the lobster industry. She’s the oldest working lobster harvester in Maine. She is driven to her boat every day by her 80 year old son, Max, who works alongside her, placing lobster traps early each morning.
When I heard this story I was amazed at how a woman,103 years old, is still going to work each day. She’s surely not a typical senior citizen. She has been a widow for years, and has most likely outlived most friends and loved ones as well. Instead of sitting home, dwelling on her loneliness or past losses, she lives in her present active lifestyle.
As Virginia gets up early and is out of the house every morning, she heads to her boat where she traps lobsters. She is far too busy for any of the usual concerns of a 103 year old. She lives in the energy level of a 30 year old.
In spite of not knowing anything about Virginia’s faith, I think there is a faith lesson for all of us to learn from her. How does Virginia live in the energy of a thirty year old?
I believe it’s because she lives in the present. Worry and anxiety is unhealthy for the body and the mind.
Virginia wakes up with the energy to manage the current day only. Each day she heads to her boat, with a zeal to do only what that day requires. It keeps her mind in the present, and also seems to have kept her physically in tact for 103 years.
She may be unknowingly following Solomon’s wise advice, by living in a present day state of mind. Jesus gave us the same advice saying, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)
If we merge the example of Virginia with the advice of Solomon and Jesus, it would mean cherishing today, living in the present and loving God with the fruit of our energy for this day, since we don’t know what tomorrow brings. It’s probably the secret to maintaining a healthy and happy mind, body and soul.
Lord, give us the grace to have healthy youthful energy, and the wisdom to know how to better live in the now. Amen