Thursday; September 3
In yesterday’s post, we
discussed the impact of the 1935 hurricane on the Florida Keys. One of the key’s most notable residents
during that time was Ernest Hemmingway.
The author had made a successful career out of describing human
conditions, but the events following the devastation seemed to derail him. The incredible loss of property and the
futility in the loss of so many lives challenged him to tell the story to the
outside world.
As I read some of his observations from the days following
the storm, I found another quote of his from his book “The Garden of
Eden”. In the novel he notes, “Happiness
in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”. On the surface, this might seem to be a bit
odd, but as we dig deeper into the thought, it seems to become quite
accurate. Interestingly, for me, there
is another author that seems to underscore this, King Solomon in the book of
Ecclesiastes. In essence, these two men
seem to agree that ignorance is bliss.
I realize that we should not hide ourselves from the
realities of life (as appealing as it may seem), so how can we hang on to joy
while learning about the world around us?
I think there are two things:
First, let’s allow reality to teach us about life. Remember, we have not been promised an easy
life, but we can make it easier by learning the mistakes made by others. Second, let’s keep in mind that this world is
not all there is to life. Yes, things do
get tough, but those who faithfully navigate the human condition have been
promised a pure and perfect world in the hereafter. Let’s never lose that hope.
Life is tough. Are we committed to being tougher? We can be when we put our faith in something and Someone that is stronger than even a Category 5 hurricane!
Think About It!