Dear Father, I've heard a few testimonies of people at the end of their lives, reflecting on how they wished they had done better, loved better, and lived better. These reflections are a natural experience for a man approaching the end of his life. The entire book of Ecclesiastes was dedicated to this-- where Solomon referred to everything as vanity: wisdom, wealth, nature, and comfort. The structure of the book suggests that Solomon was writing from the perspective of an aged king reflecting on his entire life. He may have communicated from the perspective of abundance, because lack does not know vanity. However, we cannot disregard his testimony--a brief reflection on the state of our hearts between what we once desired and what we now possess may reveal a sense of vanity, because desire is intensified by lack, but vanity is revealed through abundance. And there is more--vanity is often the result of a life of abundance without purpose. In the very end of the book, Solomon advises, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” If a man unmatched in wisdom, numbered among the wealthiest of men, and seasoned by power and experience relates the value of life to be found in You, who am I to contend? At some point we will all experience the vanity in possessing things, but I would rather first find my value in You--the One who gives value to all things. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #vanity #wealth #abundance