Ebb, Flow and the Pursuit of Balance

There is no such thing as balance.

It doesn’t exist. To achieve balance it would mean that you have control over external forces in your life that you have no control over.

You Can’t Have Balance!

I’m sitting in a cafe in Newcastle on a Monday. It’s another day when I should be working, but a wonderful family member has passed away and I find myself giving another address at another funeral for a family member that I loved dearly.

I’m speaking on Ecclesiastes 3 and Psalm 23, common passages that are read at funerals, but they are all about life. Not balance in life, but the Eb and Flow. The ups and downs. The pace and movement that each one of us lives with.

There are seasons where we run – we are flowing in life, things are cracking and we need to be reminded to rest. Seasons where we find ourselves running with horses and hoping for a moment’s peace.

There are seasons when the world collapses and we come to a screeching halt. Trauma and pain invades and we are stopped in our tracks. The moment of Eb where the river runs by us and we must pause and reflect.

Ecclesiastes reminds us that our lives move in Eb and Flow. We should not Eb too long and lose our momentum for life. We should not flow too long without missing the moment to pause and recover.

To Eb and Flow requires a freedom to release, to let go, and to move with whatever the day brings. It also serves to remind us of two things…

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

That despite the Eb and Flow, I can live a life bookended by Love and Goodness. That I can live with the Hope of Eternity. That both allow me to run with speed, and pause and reflect when they need to happen.

Ec 3:12-13 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.

That despite the challenges that I might face, I can be happy and do good regardless of the circumstance. That I might find delight in what my hands have created because they are a blessing given to me that I might enjoy them.

My aunt reminds me of this every day, that despite challenging and difficult circumstances, I can be hospitable, show kindness and love and have a welcoming home. That even in the rugged seasons I can show goodness and love to everyone in my life.

Article supplied with thanks to Duncan Robinson.

About the Author: Duncan Robinson is a radio host, pastor, husband and father of two.