I'm not using the exact term for enlightenment, but it's the only word I could think of after my discussion with my ex, Heather, and I in my car driving back to my house.
While we were driving back we were having this conversation about how cool it would be to go to Niagara Falls to visit my relatives and I brought up this thought I have been thinking about recently: Maybe there are people looking out for you! Now don't get me wrong, i'm still agnostic until an act of God physically happens in front of my very own eyes, but think about the stuff that has happened since my grandfather passed away. My mother went out the morning of us leaving to come back to North Carolina to look for her sign that my grandfather was safe in the afterlife which was to be a deer. Well, she did in fact see a deer according to my dad. A month or so later my mom goes down to Charlotte for this sweepstakes thing in which the grand prize is 2009 Ford Mustang GT Coupe. She won the card and had a picture of him with her the while she was there.
Here's another instance but it involves my uncle and aunt (my uncle being his son). While he was alive they tried to have a child but for years they were unsuccessful so they decided they wanted to adopt a child. Well a couple months ago, we got news that my aunt is now in fact pregnant and is suppose to give birth in November! They still want to adopt a child as well! My mom said she should have guessed when dad and her went up to Canada to celebrate theirs and my grandparents (if my grandfather was still alive, it would have been their 50th) anniversaries and my aunt was drinking alcohol.
So after I made those points, I said that while I believe that there possibly isn't a God, I do think that people do look over and after you when they pass to which Heather agreed with me.
But here's the paradox: Am I being looked after at all? I mean just look what happened the first day I got back to work from being in Canada for the funeral! Within a week of my grandfather dying, I was told that I would be let go from my job! That's not exactly looking after me but maybe it's some sort of trickle down effect. First his immediate family then his grandchildren and so on. So maybe my time of being look after by him hasn't come yet, but it will.
Maybe this is a turning of the leaf? Maybe, maybe not, but it's not up to me to decide that.
The Top Managers In SL - Season 84
12 years ago
2 comments:
The major question a lot of people ask these days is, if there is a God, why does he let bad things happen?
Here is why: the bad things lead to good things. Everything works out for good, in the end. Why did God create one nation, Israel, create their law, create consequences for their law, create other nations who persecuted Israel, and whom Israel fought and won battles over, killing millions? So that, eventually, God could save everybody in the whole world. It had to start out that way. It seems horrid that all those people had to die. But it's all for good.
Now, in the case of having angels or whatever, I believe they are watching out for you. Think of all the things they DO protect you from, don't just focus on all the bad things.
And as for blatant, staring-you-right-in-the-face miracles...I'm going to try not to be preachy or harsh. But: 1. They are all around you and happen every day. How amazing is it that we humans are so unique? That when you put two people together, they can produce little human beings that look and act like mixtures of both of them? How babies develop in the womb? That the plants grow in the way they do? How they produce the different types of fruits and veggies? This just breeches the surface; I could go on. 2. If you are looking for one to appear to you in front of your very own eyes, facts are it's not going to happen. You're going to be looking too hard, and you're going to miss it (case and point, number 1). 3. In the Bible (whether you believe the Bible or not, I'm referencing it), God says that you must believe by faith alone and not look for physical proof that God exists. That is the whole point of faith.
You really can't measure the blessings of God or angels by the good and bad things that happen in your life. There are plenty of Christians who are martyrs in other parts of the world, sitting on prison cell floors, eating barely anything, cold, dying...and they still praise the Lord. And maybe not in this world, but definitely in the next, God will bless them.
Just my $200.02. :P
I've struggled myself with the concept of why God lets bad things happen. I was reading through Job in the Bible (yes, I'm aware you're agnostic, but bear with me) and I think the answer came to me. In the book, God told satan that he could do whatever he wanted to job, so long as he didn't kill him. job was then hit with all kinds of horrible things, like loosing his family, his home, even his health. His response? “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." For a Christian, it comes down to trusting in God. Ultimately, we are to live our lives for Him, even if we don't understand it.
In your case, what does this mean? I guess I would say it applies the same way. Even if bad things happen, you have to trust that good things will come out of those.
As for miracles, I have to entirely agree with Jess on that. Miracles are all around you. And for the record, the blatant, stare-you-in-the-face miracles aren't entirely passe either. Our family pastor lives in Richmond, VA. On one of our trips up there (my entire family is from VA), we stopped by his church. My friend Rachel goes to that church. She was born with incredibly crooked teeth that doctors basically gave her no hope for. I honestly have never seen a mouth as bad as rach's. Anyways, while we were there, Pastor Bob prayed for her. Wtihin minutes, Rach's teeth had started to straighten. I would definitely count that as a miracle that I witnessed with my own eyes: A girl who 15 minutes ago had the worst teeth you'll ever see smiling with a perfectly straight smile. It's not entirely possible to see a miracle like that.
And as for angels or something watching out for us, I think they do exist. Think of all the bad things that could happen, but don't. I think angels or something else is definitely watching out for us.
Post a Comment