Monday, October 3, 2011

I never thought the Kardashians would show me the way

I want to believe in God. Who wouldn’t? For one thing it makes death more attractive because you think well, at least God’s behind it and he knows what he/she is doing. With death you have no assurance that anyone is in charge. Belief in God would make life so much easier. When trouble came along you could just turn it over to you know who. There's a wonderful package that comes with belief in God. I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite bible passages resides in St. Paul’s letters: Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. This remarkable premise implies a reliable order and someone had to put that order in place and that someone would be God.
That passage is several steps above plain old “magical thinking” because, hey it was filtered through a Saint who was transformed in a flash of understanding and then passed along some astounding good news. “Whaaat? R U kidding me? You mean if I have faith - whatever that is - I can have a whole lot of money and good sinuses and my deviated septum would freaking heal itself and let me breathe right for once?”

Whenever any public figure I admire talks comfortably about God, I get excited. Oh, wow, if he/she believes in God, then it must be true. Good! I’m not standing in this “vale of tears” ( Psalm 84) all by my lonesome. Right beside me, is G O D. Despite my umpteen years with the nuns (forgive me Mother Di Pazzi) and the Catholic Church I find it hard to think of God as “a ready help in trouble” another fantastic Biblical promise. Imagine having someone who is all knowing, all powerful, all loving as “a ready help in trouble?” Really? You mean when I can’t turn off the hose and water is cascading in places where there shouldn’t be any water, I have a Master Plumber at the ready? That’s what it says in Psalms 46:1,2. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Just in case we missed all the other road signs, there's a very simple extra promise and it’s not from Wayne Dyer during pledge drive on Channel 13 but from Mark 11:24. Mark as in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Whatsoever ye desire, believe that you have it and you will have it? “Whaaaat? R U kidding me?” No, this is serious. This is the Bible speaking, not some well-marketed how-to book.

What is even more fabulous, everybody can have all of these promises without working hard or doing anything special. It says so, right in (Matthew 6:28,29). Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. So let me get this straight: all you have to do is sit on the couch and do nothing but have faith. Yup.

But how do you have faith? Ay there’s the rub (Wm. Shakespeare, Hamlet). I think that journey is different for everyone but one of the key ingredients is to pay attention to the way things go. Train yourself to be present and you will start to see reliable sequence in place of randomness. Instead of seeing the universe as adversarial and nitpicking, decide it is a benevolent system that wants to see you succeed. Actively look for and recognize serendipitous help in small things and then move on to bigger things. Expect to be indulged. Expect to be loved. Expect to find easy solutions to your problems. Remember it says, Whatsoever ye desire believe that you have it and you will have it. Look at those crazy Kardashians. They just roll along getting things because they think they should. I never thought I’d look to the Kardashians to show me the way, but darn it they know how to get a lot of good stuff without doing much.

Good luck with this if you are in the same boat and please share your progress. If you are way ahead of me, share that, too.

4 comments:

  1. Who'd have thought...the Kardashians as spiritual examples. Something tells me one of the minions paid to read every mention of their name online has already forwarded your post along to Momma K, and they are brainstorming a way to make money off this right now.

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  2. I know. Momma K wants to monetize all her children.

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  3. This made me laugh! Never thought of the Kardashians as role models, but hey. whatever works.
    Seriously, I do believe in letting the Universe know what you want, but putting the belief behind it is the hard part. Somedays I have the faith and sometimes its a little rough.

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    1. Diana,

      Was re-reading this and noticed i didn't respond to your comment. I am uncommonly joyful when someone reads the blog. Thank you. As for the "hard part" you mention - putting the belief behind the request, you said it.
      Hard. And different for everyone.

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