There is a time for everything.

I have a private dreams blog. I just posted two dreams. One happened in December 2011. The other March 2012. I wasn't able to post them as they happened. But these dreams, and my posting them 'later' taught me that indeed, there is a time for everything. I haven't posted these two dreams for a reason, because they were waiting for something. It wasn't time yet for them, and this happens to be the perfect time.

To end this post, let me share the following verses:


Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, 15-17

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

...

¹⁵ Whatever is has already been,
    and what will be has been before;
    and God will call the past to account.

¹⁶ And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
    in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

¹⁷ I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment
    both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
    a time to judge every deed.”

Envy is Evil.

Envy is evil. We all are aware of that. Even if one does not believe that it is anymore. But why is it evil?

I've put a lot of thought in this, and probably feel convinced enough to the gut that another word about it feels like it won't do much more. At least for myself. But let me pour out anything I think about why it is indeed evil.

Endlessly thinking of how another person will always have something that you'll never have. This ceaseless observation that would lead to longings to have (lust), to covet (if applicable), to destroy (one's self, or the other). And the list never ends.

And, there's also the instance of trying to please others, and "improve" and "beautify" ourselves just to get to the point of getting the object of our envy's attention. And what's next? We forget to love ourselves, to give importance to what we have; and everyone does have a lot, we're just too blind to see it.

Alas, we can't be blamed for being feeble. We are only human. But that's what we need sheds of truth for -- to remind us of who we are, and what we can be, no matter our current state. Life is not easy. That is why there is always the temptation of envy. We always have a choice. We can always fight. Doesn't guarantee winning every time, but there will be "wins" if we at least try all the time to make a right decision. And there is also HOPE. Without it, without a reason to live, without love for ourselves, without any glimpse or expectation for something good to look to in the future, what do we have?

Self love. I'm not sure about the others who have no problem with this, and I cannot speak for them certainly. But I believe a lot of people are suffering from this. I must emphasize that we must teach ourselves, or at least learn, to love ourselves. This will banish the illusions of envy -- of the things it asks us to do to "quench", just for a short while, its tingle.

Lastly, I can't help but say how much LOVE indeed is the ultimate solution. And I'm not talking about our misconception of "love" that is either lesser, or more than, the required amount that it misses the target. I'm talking about the right kind, the pure type of love, that is so hot it melts away everything evil, in the end showing gleaming gold like in a furnace.