“Trial” or “Event”
Aug 18, 2014
Pondering:
I mentioned in the last article a bit about the difference between a “trial” and an “event”. I would spend this article exploring this concept that can be so freeing if we permit it to saturate our approach to life.
Many of our religions talk about God sending us “trials” to force us to “prove our worthiness” to be allowed into Heaven. Any event that can be called “bad” or “evil” is called a “trial” given by God to “toughen us”, to make us more humble, to bring us to our knees, and so many adjectives to prove we are a nothing in the eyes of this God.
But what type of God would bring us trials, deliberately giving us heartaches, causing all types of horrific things to happen to us, just so we can prove ourselves “worthy” of moving to something greater, whatever that is, or avoiding everlasting pain? This God seemingly demands that we learn to “toughen it out”, become hardened to these painful events, and learn that all we have to look forward to is more hard occurrences in our life, culminating in death.
This is the type of God imagined by those living thousands of years ago, when truly life was a challenge, death was always just around the corner, and survival was all that could be expected. Life expectancy was very short, under 30 years of age. Humanity tried to justify their lives by pinning their problems on a whimsical God, capable of bringing them abundance in one moment and starvation in the next.
But many thousands of years ago some of humanity could find joy in life. Music arose about 50,000 years ago, with musical instruments as flutes have been found over 43000 years old. I suspect story telling was even earlier, and simple instruments such as drums preceded flutes. So often it was those people, probably self chosen, who preached of the doleful God who loved to chastise humanity. Children knew better, and even as today, the joy of children would fill the air and attempt to disprove those who scream of such a God, a God who punished and sent trial after trial. Even in the midst of very bad events, children usually find joy in just running around. Pictures from the worst slums of the world usually show children smiling and acting like children everywhere.
I use the term “event”, and not trial. Even our news media uses the term “event”. An event is something that occurred. It can be either good or bad depending on the judgement of the viewer. In itself, an “event” is just that: an occurrence, something that occurred, or happened, either natural or the result of human interference. In itself, it is neither good or bad, but just something that has occurred. It could be a natural event, such as a sunny or a rainy day, either of which can be considered good or bad, depending on what had planned for the day. Someone going on a picnic, hopes for a sunny day. A farmer or gardener who is having a drought hopes for a rainy day. It always depends on the viewpoint of the observer. Even things that many consider an evil, such as war, makes those whose livelihood depends on the military buying more happy to see the orders of goods, even if they tend to mentally block out the war that is bringing in the funds.
So an “event” is an occurrence, that may be considered a good or an evil depending on the viewpoint. I lost my job in 1970, causing much anguish and soul-wrenching decisions to leave our loved home on Long Island to upstate Binghamton, NY. At the time, most viewed it as an evil. Now, 43 plus years later, we consider it a great blessing that was given us. So the event went from bad to good over a period of years. Many of the events that occur in our life will be see in the same light, going from an apparent bad to good over a period of time.
It is more difficult to view life-changing events such as cancer or other deep health issues or death of a loved one as blessings. But even while enduring these events in their lives, many have found the blessings out-weighted the evils of the event. They have found a source of great love, found even a meaning in their life that they had not seen before, recognizing that each of us will face a passing from this life of physicality to a life beyond, and thus accepting the event as the marking of a new life.
Eckhart Tolle talks about the power one gains if we only take each moment as it occurs. His book, ‘The Power of Now’ published some 15 years ago, describes that marvelous state of being of just living in the Now. Any “event” that occurs is viewed as just that: an “event”. It is neither good or bad, but an event to move through, one moment at a time. There are no other moments, only this moment, Now, and Now, and again Now. This Now will never occur again, and we lose it by dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, or we can gain from this Now if we accept it as it is. This does not mean that we should not try to move to have better Nows, but if we dwell on the Now that has come and gone, we lose the opportunity given us in the next Now that occurs. One of my co-workers, a young man with a wife and a very young child, who was laid-off in 1970 along with me (and 750 others) went to bed for 6 months. His uncle finally dragged him out of bed and put him to work in his construction company, to earn a living for his family. I have no idea what happened to him over the past 40 years, but what a waste of time he had, failing to see that his job was to make a living and feed his family.
When we view an event as a just an “event”, we can appreciate what has occurred for the good or the difficulties it presents to us, and put one foot forward at a time. Even that is another Now, and by placing our position in plain view, we can better see the plan for the next step, take that step, and then see what is the next step. Yes, sometimes we are working blind, but still the next step or potential does come up quickly, and unless we are looking we may miss it by dwelling on the past.
Of course, making big plans and expecting providence (read God) to fulfill those plans without doing our part, does not work either. We have to do our part, take the next step, no matter how small, and expect God to open up steps in front of us. We can not, must not, demand God do this or that, for then we will fail. God is more aware than we are of what we may do next, but we have to let God direct where “next” is. I had no plans to move upstate New York, but God had given us a taste of the deep green hills and mountains of upstate earlier that year (any doubt that God had plans for us?) so when the opportunity presented itself, my wife and I saw this as much a calling by God as a job opportunity.
One step at a time. Do not dwell on the past. Do not dwell on the pain. Do not demand the God do this or that. But DO EXPECT that God will provide the next opportunity, sometimes even when you are not looking. In my 80 years God has never let me down, and I Know that God will continue to provide the very best for me at this time, and “this time” is every day of my life, until it is time to move on to the next adventure.
Meditation
My Eternal Wisdom, you have granted me a life filled with wonders and joy. Oh yes, I wandered off sometimes in wrong directions, but You always, always, nudged me, sometimes with what seemed like a sledgehammer, back to the Joy you had planned for me. Today I am filled with your Love, and look forward to the next adventure You will present to me. Open my eyes to see, and give me the courage to step forward. I am thanking You now in gratitude for the courage to take that next step, whatever if is.
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機會係個天俾嘅 yes. BUT it is only those who are prepared that can see and cazpatliie the chance given. The people who always blames god/命/天 that there is no chance is absolutely wrong! If they haven’t prepared, work hard or think hard, how can they see the chance themselves, even if they see the opportunity is right in front of them, they wont have the skills, connection, knowledge or experience to take advantage of it.How sad!!!Bomb