Job 14:6
Turn Your gaze from them, stop watching,
Until like a hired laborer, they complete their days.
It is the big kid’s birthday. Both kids are about to head into new scholastic adventures and our lives are changing in ways we probably are not really ready for. They say that change causes big stress, but without change we die, without stress we weaken.
‘Gaze’ was not in any source with only ‘eyes’ or the lack of a noun were used. ‘Turn’ was also ‘turn away’ or ‘look away’. ‘Stop watching’ was also in none of my sources with ‘desist’, ‘let him alone’, ‘that he may rest’, ‘that he may be at ease’, ‘let him be’, and ‘that he may cease’ in its place.
‘Complete’ was also ‘enjoy’, ‘finish’, ‘accomplish’, ‘work off’ or ‘serve’ as if our life was punishment.
One of the concepts of marriage is that once you are married, your life is not your own. It belongs to your spouse. This causes conflict. We still want to do our thing and have our spouse help us make that better for us. But in reality, our job is now to make their life better for them and expect nothing in return. It is hard.
This mirrors an aspect of our life as Christians as once we have acknowledged Christ as our savior and all the good that comes with it, we are also admitting that He has paid for us and we are no longer our own, but His, and we are to make lives better for Him and not ourselves. We still want to do our thing and want Jesus to make it better, but in reality, we can expect only joy from salvation and serving Him. It can be hard.
I pray that today is another great day, that I exercise, do not eat too much, get to spend time with the kid, and all the other things that can go great for today. What I want to do is sit around and eat a lot of stuff I like, not exercise and do stuff that I like all by myself. Or at least the part of me that is my sinful nature. I actually am better off because I know God is watching and He is helping me to ‘achieve’ the things He wants for me. I have seen pictures of people who only sit and eat and I do not want that.
Written 8/11/24, Posted 9/4/24, Job 318