Have you ever wondered about emotions in eternity? I know there will be tears, because God will wipe them away. I know there will be torment in hell, and that will be emotional. I know there will be a thankful heart, because we will praise God for his mercy and grace. There will be love, because God is love. But emotions under the sun, as Solomon says, are reserved for living people.

There is hope while we are joined to the living. There is joy and laughter and peace in serving the savior in the days of our vanity. Because we, the living, know that we shall die, we should do what we can to live peacefully and gracefully with God and our fellow man. The dead don’t know anything, says Solomon. Their love, and hatred, and envy is now perished. So what should we take from this?

We are to go our way. Go our way in hope. Go our way in thankfulness. Go our way in peace Use this emotional life that we live for the good of those who are alive. If you want someone who is alive to know that you appreciate them, tell them now. Tell someone you are praying for them now – and then do it. If you can be a blessing, do it now, before the opportunity vanishes. Don’t wait until life is spent to let people know you care. You won’t be able to be a comfort to someone after they are gone.

There are many pressures in this life that we live under the sun, but if we wish to influence those around us, we had better do it now. This is when we have our portion, our opportunity and our life.