Ecclesiastes 3:13 “That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in his toil – this is the gift of God.”
Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky was arrested by the Czar’s soldiers as a dissident and rebel, and was sentenced to death. The Czar enjoyed toying with his prisoners by having them blindfolded and lined up in front of a firing squad. But only blanks were used, so the blindfolded prisoners heard the shots but weren’t killed. They were left traumatized. The effect on Dostoevsky was life-transforming. His senses were sharpened such that every mouthful became more tasty, the songs of the birds more beautiful, the diverse shades of the leaves more delectable; it was this very experience which enabled him to see things more deeply and convey them more richly in his writings. Having faced death threats myself and expected to get killed, I can totally relate to him.
Comedian and chat-show host Jonathan Ross surprised me with what he said in an interview recently: “I learned the secret of happiness from Swiss musician Dieter Meier. He told me, ‘I make sure I enjoy everything I’m doing. For example, today I was washing up, and I stopped and looked at the bubble on a glass, and enjoyed the sensation of my hand in the water.’ At the time, I thought, ‘You’re a nut-job!’ But actually, what a lovely way to go through life! You can spend your time getting angry and xxxx-ed off about things, or you can be a little bit more accepting and think, ‘What have I done that’s nice today?’ which sounds trite, I know – but it’s all I’ve got.”
He’s so close. It’s all he’s got, because he’s missing the last piece of the puzzle – the Source of all goodness to be able to express thanks towards. You know the Source. Enjoy all that comes from Him today.
Thank you Lord that you are that Source. I choose to live joyfully today. Amen!
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