"God gave my team the victory." (I have to raise my eyebrows when I see teams praying to God to help their team win. Why should He help their team and not the other side?)
"God is on our side." (our?)
"God loves us." (Who are they really meaning by us?)
"God will protect us." (Isn't there the saying, "God helps those who help themselves?)
"We must do His will." (However, different people interpret that will in different ways.)
"I believe in God, so I will get to heaven whereas those other heathens won't." (Who do you really mean by heathens?)
"God will punish those who don't believe." (Sigh... Some denominations go so far as to say you have to believe in their church alone; just believing in God is not enough.)
In the aftermath of the tornadoes, a survivor was asked how they thought they survived. They replied that they felt "God saved them."
Then why were the others not saved?
I've seen people lose their faith for a while when something terrible happened to a loved one. Their question was, "How could God allow this to happen?"And to this, my eyebrows go up again. Do you realize how many bad things have happened in history? Something bad happened to you, but something far worse has happened before (and is still happening). Was there no God back then? Will you say it's because they did not believe as you did? (I've heard this one, too.)
The house is quiet right now. Art is having coffee with one of his old hometown buddies. I'm just sitting here thinking.
Countless bad things are happening now. Who do you blame this on? I don't blame God. I don't blame anyone. That's just the way it is. I only ask for strength to handle all that's been happening to the world and even the small annoyances I'm dealing with. I ask for understanding. I ask for calm in choosing the best way to deal with life.
Please forgive me if I've caused any disturbance with this post. I guess I'm just thinking with my keyboard since I'm all by myself.
Silence and solitude are so necessary. For bringing out questions like these big ones of yours, for instance.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame religion is so often misused.
I've often wondered how God can be called on to help both sides in a conflict and how one religion's God can be another religion's Devil. There are many paths to God.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Kay. I think the Serenity prayer says it best for me: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
ReplyDeleteI have long believed that prayer aligns my will with God's, not the other way around. Thoughtful post.
Blessings......
ReplyDeleteAccountability and responsibility is two things often avoided by human beings it is much easier to blame someone else or something else.
Like you I too ask for the strength of endurance and also to not like my spirit die by the challenges i face.
take care
stay blessed.
Rhapsody
I believe God created the universe and the laws that govern it-opposition in all things then gave us our free agency to choose how to live our lives. Some believe, some don't, there make good and bad choices that affect the lives of others and trials come to test all of us.
ReplyDeleteI think the best posts are the ones that come from the heart,, I agree I feel the same, I don't blame anyone, not God, not anyone,, life just happens and I as you pray for the strength to handle what does happen, have a happy sunday,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have said, Kay. You have done a very good job of expressing these ideas.
ReplyDeleteI like how you deal with things without calling God's name Kay, very strong advice.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post, Kay, and I thank you for saying all the things I feel so strongly! You and your keyboard have wise and true thoughts for the day!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
I think it's those people who claim God as their own that finally put the nail in my beliefs in Christianity. I can't see that God has to be 'owned' by any one group, or if he is then he's a rather small God. I consider myself a humanist I suppose, with those morals and ethics and behaviours that are common to all religions and to all good people, regardless of creed. Like you, I don't blame bad things happening on God or anyone else; life happens and we've been given the strength to deal with it the best way we can. I just wish that more people could look for the best way in life, not necessarily the easiest.
ReplyDeleteYou said, "I only ask for strength to handle all that's been happening to the world and even the small annoyances I'm dealing with. I ask for understanding. I ask for calm in choosing the best way to deal with life."
ReplyDeleteI think you are SO right. These are things which we can ask God (as we understand God) to give us.
My hometown team is playing in the Stanley Cup final. Do I pray "God, let the Vancouver Canucks beat Boston"? No, I can only pray for serenity, courage, wisdom, and acceptance.
Thanks for this post, my friend.
— K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
Thought provoking post and comments. I think stuff just happens, I don't blame anything other than the person responsible..but I am more spiritual than religious..
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was a good one Kay! You have to write how you feel when you are feeling it. You have always done a great job with your posts and this one is another one right from the heart!
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking, Kay. I often feel the same way.
ReplyDeleteI think your thoughts are universal at some point in life. I think DJan makes a good point. I have learned to pray the Serenity Prayer. There is much in this life that I can not change, nor have I been able to change. I am learning how to accept those things.
ReplyDelete"God be with you," is the more accepted expression, instead it should be, "You be with God." And yea, watch them keyboards.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent post Kay. I so agree with you. Its easier to blame something or someone else or a higher power for our troubles. Yes we sometimes forget the horror that has happened in the past. No-one escapes trying times.
ReplyDeleteI too just pray for the resilience to cope with what is thrown at me and mine. I love your line, "I ask for calm in choosing the best way to deal with life". You said it.
The hard times are a part of life. When we accept that, life becomes a little easier and makes us more aware of enjoying the good times because we all must go through some darkness every now and then. Fantastic post!!! xx
A thoughtful post. There are no easy answers to difficult questions, but it is right to ask them.
ReplyDeleteYou posted about the big G?? People often run into problems when they assign human attributes to nonhuman things, even when they do so without thinking. For instance, you may get squeamish when you watch a female praying mantis decapitate her mate, or a female black widow eating hers (or maybe not, who knows what females really think). But this is because we get squeamish to the extent that we identify with the mantis or spider in the first person sense, forgetting that insects and arachnids do not have politics and couldn't care less about squeamishness. Same goes for God. We attribute cause, impute reason to actions or events, then ask 'why?' ...when the only people who are asking 'why' are other people. People see and related to God in the only terms they can; by viewing Him as another human; a comparison doomed to failure.
ReplyDeletewalt
This is absolutely wonderful, Kay.
ReplyDeleteWow, when you think, Kay, you REALLY think!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have to smile when I see teams in locker rooms praying for strength to go out and beat the crap out of the other team. I wonder if their God has a sense of humor. Or a team jersey???
I believe in the collective power of good and goodness.
Kay, you've asked some really good questions here. A few of them I have asked myself. I have no pat answer. I would be reluctant to believe anyone who says they do.
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