最近一次搭乘飛機的時候，我看著坐在前面幾排的母子三人。約兩歲左右的小女童開心地玩著，她的媽媽則抱著小嬰孩，注視他的雙眼，對著他笑，又摸摸他的臉頰。小嬰孩則是好奇地瞪大眼睛，看著他的媽媽。這樣的一幕令人賞心悅目，我帶著淡淡的惆悵，回憶我的孩子兒時的點點滴滴，以及那些早已逝去的時光。

然而，我想到在傳道書中，所羅門王對「天下萬務」（傳道書3章1節）所作的論述。他以一連串的對比來闡述為何「凡事都有定期」（1節），就如「生有時，死有時；栽種有時，拔出所栽種的也有時」（2節）。也許，所羅門王是藉此表達他對生命虛空的循環感到絕望，但他也承認上帝在各個層面的作為，正如我們能在勞碌中享福是「上帝的恩賜」（13節），而且「上帝一切所做的都必永存」（14節）。

我們也許會想念人生中的某一段時光，就像我會想到孩子們剛出生的樣子。然而，我們知道，無論是生命中的哪一個階段，上帝應許祂會與我們同在（以賽亞書41章10節） 。我們可以倚靠祂的同在，並深知我們生命的意義就是與祂同行。

While flying recently, I watched a mother and her children a few rows ahead of me. While the toddler played contentedly, the mother gazed into the eyes of her newborn, smiling at him and stroking his cheek. He stared back with a wide-eyed wonderment. I enjoyed the moment with a touch of wistfulness, thinking of my own children at that age and the season that has passed me by.

I reflected, however, about King Solomon’s words in the book of Ecclesiastes about “every activity under the heavens” (v. 1). He addresses through a series of opposites how there is a “time for everything” (v. 1): “a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot” (v. 2). Perhaps King Solomon in these verses despairs at what he sees as a meaningless cycle of life. But he also acknowledges the role of God in each season, that our work is a “gift of God” (v. 13) and that “everything God does will endure forever” (v. 14).

We may remember times in our lives with longing, like me thinking of my children as babies. We know, however, that the Lord promises to be with us in every season of our life (Isa. 41:10). We can count on His presence and find that our purpose is in walking with Him.