The man looked out over the dunes. As far as the eye could see, there were only dunes. The man did not see what he was looking for. He closed his eyes and sighed. The man picked up his pack, and trudged on. The man thought of his movement as trudging
Powerful message! This brings to my mind the book of Ecclesiastes where in summary Solomon declares God has not told man how to comprehend all the frustrating futilities of life, but He has instructed man to enjoy life as His gift (2:24), to make the most of every opportunity (9:10), and to live life with reverence toward God (12:13), accompanied by an awareness of future judgement (12:14). Solomon learned to live with life’s paradoxes by maintaining a proper attitude toward life and God.
I was just reading Seneca "It is precisely in times of immunity from care that the soul should toughen itself beforehand for occasions of greater stress, and it is while Fortune is kind that it should fortify itself against her violence. In days of peace the soldier performs maneuvers, throws up earthworks with no enemy in sight, and wearies himself by gratuitous toil, in order that he may be equal to unavoidable toil. If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes. Such is the course which those men have followed who, in their imitation of poverty, have every month come almost to want, that they might never recoil from what they had so often rehearsed."
Very well done, brother. Good insight. One thing I have found particularly helpful to enjoying the goodness of an oasis whether we are in one or not comes from the first Christian desert father and mystic, St. Antony. He counsels us to live every day as if we are not going to make it to the evening, and to live every evening as if we are not going to wake up in the morning, so that we can truly treasure every day. Easier said than done, but something I have enjoyed pursuing. This counsel reminds me of other writings of yours, specifically about how we come to enjoy life when we just experienced a near death experience. Meditation on our mortality has an interesting way of helping us see the oasis of today.
Thank you! I thought you might enjoy the David reference, who danced before the Lord.
I’ve found my life to be way more meaningful once I stopped considering that heaven was my true destination and that I was guaranteed to go there. Because I hated this life for a long time
This is an incredibly impressive piece. Thanks for taking the time to craft it. It’s inspiring to see the progress in your writing from just a couple of years ago. Thanks for dancing in the dunes with us, Grant.
Powerful message! This brings to my mind the book of Ecclesiastes where in summary Solomon declares God has not told man how to comprehend all the frustrating futilities of life, but He has instructed man to enjoy life as His gift (2:24), to make the most of every opportunity (9:10), and to live life with reverence toward God (12:13), accompanied by an awareness of future judgement (12:14). Solomon learned to live with life’s paradoxes by maintaining a proper attitude toward life and God.
It’s up to us to make our journey count...
See also Philippians 4:11-14
I want to practice this more.
I was just reading Seneca "It is precisely in times of immunity from care that the soul should toughen itself beforehand for occasions of greater stress, and it is while Fortune is kind that it should fortify itself against her violence. In days of peace the soldier performs maneuvers, throws up earthworks with no enemy in sight, and wearies himself by gratuitous toil, in order that he may be equal to unavoidable toil. If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes. Such is the course which those men have followed who, in their imitation of poverty, have every month come almost to want, that they might never recoil from what they had so often rehearsed."
Ahhh yes! Contentment doesn’t just fall into our laps, we must choose it.
Very well done, brother. Good insight. One thing I have found particularly helpful to enjoying the goodness of an oasis whether we are in one or not comes from the first Christian desert father and mystic, St. Antony. He counsels us to live every day as if we are not going to make it to the evening, and to live every evening as if we are not going to wake up in the morning, so that we can truly treasure every day. Easier said than done, but something I have enjoyed pursuing. This counsel reminds me of other writings of yours, specifically about how we come to enjoy life when we just experienced a near death experience. Meditation on our mortality has an interesting way of helping us see the oasis of today.
Thank you! I thought you might enjoy the David reference, who danced before the Lord.
I’ve found my life to be way more meaningful once I stopped considering that heaven was my true destination and that I was guaranteed to go there. Because I hated this life for a long time
This is an incredibly impressive piece. Thanks for taking the time to craft it. It’s inspiring to see the progress in your writing from just a couple of years ago. Thanks for dancing in the dunes with us, Grant.
Thanks man! Sometimes it feels like inanity when I write, and I wonder if it resonates with anyone. I appreciate your encouragement