Ecclesiastes 5:17-18
The Voice (VOICE)
17 So all our days we eat in darkness,
with mounting frustration, suffering, and anger. 18 Then it dawned on me that this is
good and proper: to eat and drink and find the good in all the toil that we
undertake under the sun during the few days God has given, for this is our lot in
life.
This past weekend the annual graduation at La Sierra
University took place. I went down on Saturday morning and celebrated with the
graduates from the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.
Before I retired, two years ago, I spent several weeks
working with the department to arrange matters so an advisee would be able to
finish her degree by this graduation. I had to get permission for her to
substitute certain classes for required classes, etc. Everything worked out as
we had planned, and she graduated precisely when she had planned to graduate.
She came to me personally and thanked me for arranging everything. I
congratulated her and replied, “You earned your degree. Now you have every
right to celebrate!”
I started teaching mathematics in 1965 and taught until
2013. That’s 48 years of doing what I enjoyed, namely mathematics, and helping
thousands of students to learn enough for their purposes in life. Many of them
thanked me and told me how much they appreciated what I had done for them. Of
course, there were some who hated mathematics and consequently hated me for
teaching it.
The longer I have lived and labored, the more I respect
Qoheleth, the author of Ecclesiastes,[ii]
for his insight into the lot of humans on this earth. And I have enjoyed
finding good in the daily toil in spite of the often mounting frustration and
anger attached to some aspects of my chosen career.
Lord, thank You for
lives You have been able to touch through my labors. Continue to use me to
touch lives in my new circumstances.
