The Why Of It All
Many years ago I had a brief conversation with a man who ran a one man computer repair shop. I brought my laptop to him for repair. When I was picking up the repaired laptop, he went through in detail what he had done. I complimented him on his fine work and reasonable price. In a random joking manner, I complimented him on his honesty saying that it would bode well for him when he gets to heaven. The man looked at me with piercing eyes that silently revealed he had experienced both struggle and suffering. He replied with a straight face, “All I want when I get there is answers.” To that I replied, “Amen brother, amen.”
A Senseless World
So many things happen in your life, in the lives of your friends and loved ones, in the lives of strangers that you only read about, that just don’t make any sense. Why do good people suffer? Why do crappy people prosper? A wonderful person dies young. A miserable old crock lives on to be a hundred. Innocent kids born with challenging infirmities. Jerks who are not be sick a day in their lives. One child born into squalid conditions in an impoverished country. Another child born into a country of prosperity. I have no idea how you feel about these circumstances but it always leaves me with the question of “the why of it all”, with a hint of the scent of the absurdism of Albert Camus hanging in the background.
Thirty Seconds For Some Answers
It brings to mind a scene from a 1940’s film noir movie with the actor Robert Mitchum. He was portraying a hard boiled detective dealing with some nasty, backstabbing characters. At one point, Mitchum encounters one of these villainous characters and throws him against the wall in an alleyway. With gun in hand under the guy’s chin, he states with unequivocal firmness, “OK, you’ve got exactly thirty seconds to give me some answers.” After the guy says he doesn’t know anything, Mitchum cocks the hammer of the gun and replies “Twenty-five seconds”. (By the way Mitchum does get the answers he is looking for). Sometimes this is what I feel like doing to the keeper of the universal records when I see or read or hear about some injustice that angers me.
Many Possibilities
With regard to children born with infirmities, there are many possibilities but I want to make it crystal clear to you that I do not have the answers. I do know some things but I am most definitely not Mr. Knows-It-All. One possibility involves reincarnation. It has been postulated that these children pre-plan their infirmity along the lines of a scenario of voluntary reincarnation in order that they may teach, learn, experience, knowing that when their lifetime is over, they return to where they belong in the eternal world of Spirit without the burden of the infirmity. Another possibility is the ever present free will of mankind. Perhaps one or both of the parents harbor fears that are picked up on by the fetus affecting the development. Perhaps the man chooses to inflict violence on the mother, injuring the fetus. Perhaps the mother chooses to introduce a toxic substance to the womb. Perhaps a greedy and nefarious industrialist chooses to pollute the water source that affects pre-natal development of the fetus. Perhaps that child is foreordained to be an inspiration to other souls through the child’s divine handling of the infirmity. There are other possibilities as well. Until we finish this lifetime and resume interaction in the hereafter, we will really never know for sure the “why” of it all but that does not stop the search for answers while we are here. Training yourself to be fully present at all times in the here and now is the key to handling the “why’s” of life.
The Wild Man From Borneo
When I was a little kid back in the 1950’s, they still had small time traveling circuses that would set up their tents in the areas outside urban locales. These circuses not only had the “big top” tents but also had carnival like sideshows that people would visit before the main circus show. When I was five, one of these circuses came to my small town. My older brother and I were able to get free tickets to this circus. Mom gave us each a quarter for treats during the show. My brother and I were intrigued by a pre-event tented side show that featured “The Wild Man From Borneo”. On the side of the tent was painted a mural of a fearsome looking beast, half-man, half-animal. (Spoiler alert: The actual wild man looked nothing like the beast on the mural). Admission was twenty-five cents. My brother actually had the good fortune to find a quarter on the ground after we arrived at the circus site. He said we could use that quarter for popcorn during the circus show. As we were both curious about this wild man from Borneo, we decided to use the quarters that Mom gave us to see what it was all about. Being a little runt, I was kind of afraid it would get loose. My brother assured me however that they must keep him in a cage so we would be safe. Inside we went.
Just A Guy In A Costume
The wild man was a little scary to me but my brother was unimpressed. It looked like a man with all painted markings on his body, a necklace of animal teeth around his neck, wearing a loincloth and with fur on his arms and legs. The wild man was jumping and leaping all around his cage making all sorts of unintelligible sounds. He would look wildly all around him then jump around again in a random manner. My brother said, “Ahh it’s just a guy in a costume putting on a show.” I cautioned my brother not to say that too loud or the wild man would get angry with us. My brother just laughed. And just like that, after a few minutes, the carnival barker said the show was over as the next group was ready to come in. I never forgot however the image of the wild man jumping all around wildly from side to side inside the cage.
Thought + Feeling + Belief = Your Life
Just like “The Wild Man From Borneo” your own mind will jump around wildly just like him if you allow it. There is no other way around it – to receive your desires fulfilled in certainty, you have to do some work on focusing your thoughts. You have to discipline your mind to dwell on the thoughts that will lead to feelings that will lead to beliefs that will bring to you that which you earnestly desire. Direct your mind instead of allowing your mind to direct you. Your mind can be a useful tool or a tyrannical master. You will always be tempted to jump to a downward spiral by complaining about your current negative circumstances.
Your Imagination Does Not Care
Your imagination will bring you benefit or it will bring you detriment. It really does not care one way or the other. It is always your choice. Train your mind to bring you benefit! Why do you continue to dwell on the adverse circumstances of your current life? Your answer may be: “Because the circumstances of my current life are adverse Dipshit, that’s why. Just take a look at everything wrong going on around me.” This is precisely the time when you need to train your faith with an unwavering belief. It is hard. I know it’s hard. It’s hard for me also. I don’t always succeed but it is the way out of current troubles. It is your escape route. It is the way out of your problems no matter what they are or how many there are.
Worry Never Ever Helps
Worry is not a neutral feeling. It is destructive. It is toxic. Worry is dwelling on negative results occurring within a particular situation. Faith is your true power to break through any problem. Faith is the assurance of things unseen. Faith…..Assurance…..Unseen. Refuse to dwell for even a second on your current circumstances if what you see going on around you is not what you believe as your destined reality. Live in the end. It doesn’t matter if, like Wile E. Coyote, an Acme safe or piano falls on your head. If your feelings and your beliefs match up with your desired reality as being the “real deal” reality, if you remain ferociously loyal to the unseen reality no matter what happens, then the unseen reality will eventually become the seen reality and you will ultimately receive what you desire and more.
Conceive. Believe. Receive.