Ok, maybe not, but I had a nice little thought while meditating by the river yesterday.
Let's say, just for the sake of argument, that life is just a gift from a loving God.
Well, when I give a gift, why do I do that?
If it's really a gift, freely given with no motivation other than love, first of all I'm not expecting anything in return.
That doesn't mean I'm not hoping for something to happen, though. I'm hoping for a few things: That the person will enjoy it; that they can perhaps make some use of it; perhaps at some point they will share their enjoyment of it with someone else; perhaps they will feel some gratitude for having received it, and maybe even share that gratitude with me.
So hey, back to life. What if it's just a gift from God? All He/She/It probably wants is for me to enjoy it, make some good use of it, share it with someone else, and be grateful for it.
So that kinda makes my gratitude list more important than I thought, because the list is not just good for me, it's pleasing to my Creator. Just maybe.
And maybe that whole "praying for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry it out" which I sometimes have difficulty with, could be rephrased -- just to myself -- in a different way that might work a little better for me right now: "praying for knowledge of God's wishes for us and the ability to fulfill those wishes." This makes God seem like less of some kind of task master, and more like someone who has freely given me something out of love with no expectations attached, but who nevertheless has some wishes for me which are only wishes of love for me and those around me.
It makes all the sense in the world to me, probably because I believe it to be true. What a wonderful series of thoughts to share with us. Put that way, just exactly that way, makes the word "faith" a little easier to understand. Thank you so much for this! chris
Wow Glenn!! I like it also...it could happen. Little longer form of meditation and still I use to do it this way too!! Keep up the practice and thanks.
I have had this exact same line of reasoning. Awesome Glenn! That is why I do tell newcomers that I dont know God's will for them but i am sure it is not for them to spend their lives drunk or high. God does not want that for any of us. God granted me an infinity of chances already based on the sheer number of times I should be dead from drunken reckless behavior (car crash, driving drunk, almost fell of a building drunk, smashed my head on a table drunk...etc). Having been given a reprieve and this gift from God, what will I do with it today? Dunno, but I am going to enjoy it and not drink cuz you are right. It is a gift and I'm not gonna piss all over it any longer.
Mark
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