As a woman of faith and believer in God, I have often referred to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 to find comfort when the world around me makes no sense. It’s a passage of scripture that brings a clear perspective to my everyday life. While I might not understand the “why” behind many of life’s struggles and pain, I do understand that God has a purpose in everything he does and everything he allows. He is, after all, sovereign in all things.

I believe there are blessings and consequences for every action we take, every word we speak and every deed we do in this life. I think that is why I enjoy this passage of scripture. It is a reminder that everything in life has an ebb and a flow and these ebbs and flows are required to create and sustain balance and stability. If you have too much of one thing for too long, life becomes unbalanced. If you have too little of one thing, life becomes unstable. Understanding this dynamic helps me navigate through life with hope and confidence in God.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 
  
 a time to be born and a time to die, 
 a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
 a time to kill and a time to heal, 
 a time to tear down and a time to build, 
 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
 a time to mourn and a time to dance, 
 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, 
 a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 
 a time to search and a time to give up, 
 a time to keep and a time to throw away, 
 a time to tear and a time to mend, 
 a time to be silent and a time to speak, 
 a time to love and a time to hate, 
 a time for war and a time for peace.
  
 (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV) 

Whether you are a person who believes in God or not, it is my hope you will find perspective, peace or comfort in these words too.

Remember, the ebb and flow is necessary to create and sustain balance and stability in our world and in our lives.