Around our family room looking
Objects of our history observing
Daddy’s planes admiring
And his gnomes on trains noting
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Books by the hundreds read and unread
All collected the goal of Gospel spread
Yet like those early believers, questions
Haunting, troubling, in need of Paul and Jesus
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Many marriages, many individuals, resurrection
In trespasses and sin dead and dying
Touched by words Holy Spirit empowered
Instrument in Redeemer’s hands delivered
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
The city of the past rebuilt
Trains of youth recast
Memories of industries past
Haunting reality of cultural demise—
History, a memory of death
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Grandchildren from frames peer
Bright smiles, hope of another generation—life
Surrounding generations, wrinkled faces—death
Future anticipation something better—allusion
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die
God glorifed enjoy here and now
Time an allusion is not
Divine allotment for joy intended
History lived within Divine design
Ah, here enjoyment I fine in God’s mundane
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Vanity with purposes intended
The very emptiness a witness
Reality of God is screaming
Embraced Providence defies
Emptiness, meaningless, deceptive idols
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Treasurer your vanity a gift of God
Find your vanity the hand of God
Rejoice in the Lord in the travail of vanity
Dispel the questions, dispense the doubt
Determine to discover God ordained purpose
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Vanity, vanity all is vanity
Filled with purpose
Enjoyed by faith
Motivated by love
All in the hand of God
Raw material of eternal reward
(C) Howard Eyrich 2014