my favorite book

     

some of my favorite verses!!

Growing up, one of my favorite activities was reading. There is nothing better than curling up on the couch with a good book. Some details that make a good book are story line, emotions and strong descriptions. I want to be able to feel the depth of what the author is trying to convey and walk away from the book having learned something new. I’ve read a lot of books, and trying to choose my favorite is hard. I love to read books about Christianity, romance and science fiction. In each of those categories there are clear favorites, but to be able to choose just one top book is difficult. Each of the books I have read have shaped me into the person I am today. The book that has shaped me the most in life has been The Bible, especially the book of Ecclesiastes. 
            In high school, I struggled with finding joy and purpose in my life. I searched for purpose in people’s approval and was consistently left feeling like a failure. When my youth group started reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I was instantly hooked. I had no idea the impact this book would have on my life. Historians believe that King Solomon wrote it back in the 10^th century. Solomon talks about how he has everything anybody could ever want in life. He had a huge house, herds of animals, vineyards, lots of money and more. He was wise, rich and powerful, what more could he want? As he lived life, he realized that all things were vanity. Throughout the book, Solomon writes on this theme of vanity. He develops that all things in life are vanity, meaningless and will vanish with time. This idea is talked about in almost all of the twelve chapters. He goes into detail on why each thing in life is meaningless and why we shouldn’t live for it. Reading this in high school was hard to understand. I felt like possessions, wisdom and work were all meaningful and that’s the exact opposite of what Solomon is writing. I wondered what was the point of living because those three things are necessary to some degree. The second half of the book talks on the meaning of life. Solomon reveals that everything is meaningless unless it is done for the Lord. He writes about how each of us come from dust and we shall return, that life is short and we need to give the Lord glory. He concludes the book with telling the reader the secret of life. Solomon says that all we have to do is fear God and keep His commandments. 

            After reading, I was stunned, I felt like life had to be complex and that possessions would fulfill me. Solomon so clearly lays out exactly what we are to do and how to find joy in life. I instantly knew I needed to change my priorities and live for the Lord. I think this is my favorite book because of how blunt it is and the transformation it had on my life. It was definitely hard to comprehend because of the examples and the big words he uses. The way Solomon builds the suspense and then drops the exact way on how to live is so intriguing. It was so fundamental in my walk with the Lord and my life that I choose to read it every year. I know that this isn’t a traditional book, but it has had the biggest impact on my life. Ecclesiastes is a book that I believe everyone should read because of how pivitol it is.