For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3 1-2, 4-5,  11

There are various patterns that are repeated in life. The teacher in Ecclesiastes calls them seasons. I prefer to think about them as rhythms like dances making life the dance.

Life has several contrasts, be it in nature or one’s  emotions. There is the ups and downs we experience like a boat being swayed by waves of the sea  

There is a time for everything.  It suggests that we shouldn’t expect life to be always the same.  It isn’t constant. We should be prepared for a change in rhythm. The master DJ has so designed life that it is not monotonous but engaging.

Everyone experiences these rhythms but what is critical is how you respond. Do you sway with the music being played or do you resist.  Some of us have no rhythm. Our friends laugh at us because we can’t dance. Life is not the kind of dance you can sit out until your favorite rhythm is played. One always has to embrace the music of the dance.  Many times we try to decide the outcome of a situation, or we anticipate that things will happen a certain way but it does not.  We are not in control God is. These various rhythms and dances that we perform helps us to have a healthy appreciation of what life offers.  We are able to always be optimistic, to live with hope and in hope, because everything is suitable in its time.

James talking to the Christians who ran from Jerusalem after the stoning of Peter said they should make allowance for their laughter to become mourning and their joy gloom. We must trust God and do our best dance. It does not make sense worrying over things we cannot control.

 Life happens and we have control over very little.  Things change according to the rhythm. Life isn’t always rosy and pretty, but the teacher says God makes everything suitable for its time.  Other versions say God makes everything beautiful in God’s time.  when all is said and done we would have performed our best dance and at the end of it all look back and say all things considered Life is beautiful. If we turn verse 14 -15 of the same chapter the teacher says he knows that what God does is forever nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it; What happens now also happened in the past. What happens in the future has also happened before. Things happen over and over again. God has done this so that we should just focus on worshiping him and not worry about the other things.  Let us trust in the lord and lean not on our own understanding. But in all our ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.