Roof and Beer Bottle Photo – © Jim Ruppel 8-26-2012
There is a man who walked this earth over 2,000 years ago. He was God’s man ― a child, a Son and a brother ― just as we are today. He came to show us many things. We have created religions, built churches and established holidays in his honor in an attempt to follow his path. His name is Jesus and in the Christian faith we celebrate his life, death and resurrection this weekend through Easter.
Though we have come a long way over 2,000 years, humanity still struggles with the very same issues Jesus taught about and demonstrated. I may look at what’s going on in our world today and be tempted to think maybe his lessons and sacrifice were lost on us. But, I can’t, because I know too many times there are deeper lessons that can only be discovered when our hearts are ready and our eyes are open to truly see. I think that time is upon us.
We are not as barbaric, as we were centuries ago, but the seed still remains implanted within humans and it looks ugly when it sprouts. It’s what I see going on today and may be considered the norm, with repeated reports of hate and injustices, greed and self-indulgence. We may wonder, “Where is God’s perfection?” When taking a look deeper, I also see potential for something beautiful. It’s what I believe Jesus tried to show us and demonstrated most tenderly in his sacrifice and ultimate rebirth.
While it’s difficult for me even to imagine the horrors that happen, I wonder, if we dared to pause in the moment and feel what’s going on, would we notice a hint of grace that is there. It may be an opportunity given to us to look within, dig deep and allow something to unfold that would cause us to rise up to make changes and love deeper than before. If there was no discomfort, hate, war, would we ever notice? We all have the personal choice in how we respond to the TV reports of killing bombs, political debates, a driver cutting us off in traffic or an abusive slap across the face.
I don’t know what the answers are but, for me, maybe I’m missing a purpose or meaning, and I want to respond differently and take responsibility by embracing what is revealed in my daily life. I can’t do that if I barricade myself from being hurt or look the other way when things get painful to see. I feel it just the same because we’re all connected. What I want may not look like I think it should or turn out my way but if I give it a chance, maybe I’ll see through all of it God’s perfection.
There is the Shaya story Dr. Wayne Dyer reads from his book, “The Power of Intention”, that I think explains this better than what I’ve been trying to say. It’s an example of what’s possible when we choose something different than the norm. Most of the time, children know what to do.
It’s a story about a father and a young boy named Shaya, who has learning disabilities. One day, Shaya saw some boys playing baseball and told his father he wanted to play. He had never played baseball before and his father wanted to give him an opportunity to play like other boys and took him over to see if they would let him play.
One thing leads to another and the circumstances and outcome will touch your heart. It’s one of those little miracles that happen when given the opportunity to emerge. It may not seem to be that big of a deal compared to the many potential injustices and crises in the world. But, it matters and plays a part in the humans we become.
On the surface, Jesus’ crucifixion, heinous crimes, brutality are hard to explain leaving us with tears crying out with questions, “Why-Why?” “Does God even hear?” “Is that what you call a loving God?” Would we feel anything, be touched deeper or be in a place to hear a whisper of love or witness a stroke of grace. I don’t know, but I know miracles happen, and it’s in those moments when I have the greatest opportunity to choose to notice and perhaps respond in a different way.
Watch what happens in the world and our country this year and see if you can pick out those little miracles that are happening in the midst of the chaos. Just as Jesus, as a man, struggled with fear in the things he saw, we can look beyond what we see, seek to understand and trust God’s perfection. I believe it’s there every day.
God Bless You and Happy Easter!
Pat from the ‘ol kitchen table
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Pat Ruppel
Happy Easter Pat. I stopped watching the news and listening to politics for a while as I got sick of the bad news and arguments, but I think you’re right, we can only find the miracles if we let ourselves feel the suffering.
Thank you, Andrea, and I can appreciate what you mean in subjecting ourselves to the news and negative publicity. It zaps my energy and can feel hopeless. It’s hard but I think you understand and get what I’m saying in that there are times when we have to listen and be aware of opportunities for miracles. I’m a work in progress, for sure, and can’t begin to imagine what some people are going through. I can only hope this gives some hope and different perspective.
Happy Easter to you and yours, as well, and may God bless.
Happy Easter. I have just chapter 26 and 27 to do and will have hand written the Book of Mathew. Hope to finish the other three Gospels by years end.
Happy Easter to you, too, Carl, and thank you. Wow – that’s quite a project you’ve taken on. May I ask why you’re wanting to do this? I can imagine by writing them down by hand you would become more connected to the words and it would come alive for you.
Happy Easter, Pat. I thank you for reminding me to look for the little miracles this year of all years as they often get drowned out by the negative news so often.
Thank you, Lois, and hope the same for you — a Happy Easter. It’s so true about getting caught up in the negativity. It seems to be more these days and can definitely drown out all the good going on if we let it.
Take care, my friend, and keep those miracles close. Love and hugs xxoo 🙂
Hello Pat, it’s Uma again 🙂 Happy belated Easter wishes to you and your family, and thank you so much for having shared with us that beautiful post. What I loved the most in what you wrote was what you wrote, I quote:
Though we have come a long way over 2,000 years, humanity still struggles with the very same issues Jesus taught about and demonstrated. I may look at what’s going on in our world today and be tempted to think maybe his lessons and sacrifice were lost on us. But, I can’t, because I know too many times there are deeper lessons that can only be discovered when our hearts are ready and our eyes are open to truly see. I think that time is upon us.
I don’t know if I properly understood what you wrote, but according to me, Jesus’s teachings and demonstrations were not lost to humanity, but perfectly predicted on what would happen to the world in the future. Maybe it was a way for us to understand that after Jesus, we would face some new experiences and life lessons for which we would be taught the lesson by ourselves through the inner voice within us and guiding us to take the right decisions and to avoid the wrong ones. I recently experienced something like that, and I concluded that sometimes, your inner voice explains you what other people will never be able to explain you.
Hi Uma — it’s nice to have you back and I’m happy you enjoyed the post. I think what you got from my quote is what I was trying to communicate in Jesus’ teachings. I don’t believe what He came to do was lost on us; it’s tempting to think so, if we only look at the conditions of the world around us.
But there’s more going on and I believe you’re right with our connection to God and our inner voice. That’s what Jesus showed us and it’s bigger than the miracles He demonstrated. It’s what elevated Him beyond the crucifixion and what was going on with Him in the flesh. It’s what helped Him and is what is available in all of us.
It sounds like you may have recently experienced that place and your own personal Divine connection that helped you work through what you needed. I love it and was just for you and not to be shared with everyone. Thank You!
Yes dear, you guessed my point of you at 100%. I recently had that experience with my inner voice during a very hot and sleepless night. It was very deep, but I really enjoyed that experience since it opened my eyes on lots of things on which I was blind or which I didn’t seem or want to understand. I agree on the point that it’s something personal which you cannot share with everyone, except some people who really understand the meaning of that inner voice talking to us. I am actually planning to write something about it very soon. My first knowledge about that inner voice within us started through some comic strips I used to read during childhood. I think that you may have read some comic strips where the characters were confronted between their Good Voice (their guardian angel) and their Evil Voice (the little demon shown with a red skin, horns over the head and a long pinchy tail). That’s also a way of interpreting the inner voice within us and a way for us to understand that we only are responsible of the choices, good or bad, that we and only we make, and that we only are the masters of our own choices, decisions and destinies, depending on the inner voice we choose to follow.
I can totally understand where you’re coming from, Uma. It’s interesting the different ways our inner voice becomes real to us. I agree it’s personal belonging only to us. Thank you for sharing. 🙂