Spirituality does two things for you. One, you are forced to become more selfless, two, you trust to providence. –Imran Khan
Consider that it is easy to praise providence for what happens in your/the world provided you have the ability to see individual events in the context of the whole and you have a sense of gratitude. Without these you might well miss the ‘good’ [or ‘blessing’ or ‘usefulness’] of what happens or, supposing that you are able to ‘see it’ you might not be able to be grateful for it.
For example, if God had created colors, but not the faculty of vision, colors would have been of little use. Or, if God had created vision, but not made sure objects could be seen, vision would have been worthless. Even if God had created both color and vision, but had not created light, then neither would have been a blessing or a gift.
It appears as if all animals possess this same ability of ‘vision.’ And it appears as if we humans are the only animals that have the capacity to understand what we see and to be grateful for it. ‘Use’ is one thing; ‘understanding’ and ‘gratitude’ are something else. It seems that for the other animals it is enough to eat, drink, sleep, breed and do whatever else it is that satisfies the members of their kind. But for us humans, we have been given the capacity (gift?) of understanding. Yet, ‘understanding’ itself is not enough. We are called to do more than seek understanding; it is in our nature to do more.
We humans were brought into the world to look upon God and God’s works not just with understanding but with appreciation as well. And part of our appreciation is directly linked to whether we are then ‘good stewards’ of our/the world. But the world is not all ‘light.’
Difficult things happen to us; bad things happen to good people. Our favorite sport in America is American football. Many people each week, during the football season, will brave the elements and sit outside for hours in order to support their team. They, at minimum, put up with the inclement weather and the noisy (often times drunk) fans — they practice a form of patience and they cope fairly well.
Now, as humans we also have the capacity to develop our inner strengths, the strengths that enable us to cope with a variety of life’s difficulties. We can develop our capacity for patience or fortitude or courage. One is able to cope with anxiety when one has developed the capacity for/of fortitude. Instead of meeting difficulties with groans and moans and tears I might well call upon my coping skills to help me ‘see my way through’ — especially if I believe that ‘this too shall pass.’
This is the season for spring colds. I remember observing a mother and daughter. The daughter was complaining that her nose was running. Her mother looked at her and simply said, ‘Wipe your nose!’ It did no good for the child to complain; her runny nose was a ‘fact’ and at that time the best coping she could do was to wipe her nose. How often do I complain of a ‘runny nose’ [now, gentle reader, this is a metaphor although at times my nose does run] and complain about it rather than just ‘wipe it?’
At times life is ‘difficult’ and presents us with a variety of challenges. Would we have had Hercules if there were no challenges like the lion, the wild stag, the rampaging boar or the fearsome hydra? What would his life have been like without these difficult challenges? Well, he might have simply rolled over in his bed and gone back to sleep — snoring his life away. He would not have become ‘Hercules’ and we would not be telling his story today. I am remembering Achilles. His mother told him that if he did not go to Troy that he would find a wife, have many children and live to a ripe old age. His children would remember him and so would their children but then his name would be lost; no stories would be told of him. If, on the other hand, he went to Troy, he would face many challenges and difficulties and he would overcome them; he would also die there. Yet, his story and his name would resound for the ages. He must choose his path.
Like Hercules and Achilles we all have gifts, talents and abilities and we have choice. We can develop them and find ways of using them to meet the needs that exist in our/the world or we can roll over and go back to sleep. Are we going to choose to celebrate the resources that God has given us? Are we going to choose to develop our gifts, talents and abilities so that we can say — as Hercules and Achilles might have said to Zeus: ‘Bring on the challenges and the difficulties. I have the resources to cope with them and I choose to live rather than to sleep.’
Am I willing to ‘see the whole’ of it — the good, the bad, the ugly — and am I willing to be grateful for all that comes my way? Both are challenging questions for me. Well, I will think about them later, for now I plan on settling in and taking a nap.
Searcher-Seeker 