Into Each Life a Little Rain Must Fall

Eccl. 11:7-8

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

My husband loves early morning, especially if he can watch the sunrise. While I agree that it is a beautiful thing, and I understand the joy a new day dawning can bring, I have to admit I’m not a happy early riser. I do, though, enjoy the beautiful light of a new day. It’s a glowing fall morning here, the kind that makes you wish fall would never end. We should learn to be joyful no matter what, though, right?

That’s what v. 8 is saying. If we are blessed to live to a good old age, we should learn to rejoice in each day God gives us. Sometimes it’s hard. I don’t think I’ve ever dreaded a political campaign as much as I’m dreading the coming year’s onslaught of lies, accusations, anger, and hatred. For those of you who are young, it hasn’t always been like this in America. Campaigns were waged, won or lost; but there was not the vitriol, the ugliness and hatred that exists today. In this information age, we hear every word practically before it leaves a candidate’s mouth. It’s too much. I wish they would just tell us what they believe, where they stand on important issues, and quit the personal attacks on each other.

Well. I don’t usually talk about politics here, and I’m not going to expand on what I just wrote. The point is to rejoice in each day God allows us life and breath, but as the rest of the verse says, we need to learn from the not-so-good days as well. Every life will have it’s peaks and valleys. Into every life a little rain must fall, according to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Next

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary It rains, and the wind is never weary; The vine still clings to the mouldering wall, But at every gust the dead leaves fall, And the day is dark and dreary. My life is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past, But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast, And the days are dark and dreary. Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.