I have noticed how often we speak from the pulpet about things that are close to our heart and which are important to us personally. I am no different than you in that respect and wish to speak about things that weigh upon my heart.
Life is full of twists and turns - some are part of our daily routines - some we can predict as the consequences of decisions that we make, and some are unexpected - but almost always they have some meaning to our lives and when we stop to consider what is important to us in this life, we cannot but help to notice that we can learn something from our every day which also affects the eternal purpose of our life.
Jesus taught, that "...where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matt. 6 v 21
The desires of our heart are generally the objectives of our life. So, if we can discover what we each want from life, we should be able to find out how to get there - how we can accomplish our goal and what kind of plan we need so that we can succeed. No one would go to sea in a boat that did not have a rudder - without one it is impossible to navigate in any direction, and likewise, everyone who wants to achieve a specific destination in life must have a map or navigation equipment, which will make it possible to plan the route.
I once asked a missionary companion, what was it that he really wanted out of life - what was the single most important thing that he wanted more than anything else. After quite some time in contemplation he replied: "I want more than anything else to be happy".
Happiness is surely everyones wish - the goal of every individual. How then can we achieve it?
If we know what will bring us happiness then we can decide to do everything that will enable us to obtain that happiness which we seek. Making the plan and following it through can be part of it.
If I were to ask different people what it is that would contribute to their happiness I think that most of them would say that good health is important to their happiness. It is certainly true - I can well understand how it must be to struggle and to have to live each day with physical or mental pain or anguish, or with the uncertainty as to whether this day will permit the possibility to live in health and peace of mind.
In addition we may add to the list of answers money. Money allows us to do so much. With money we can travel, we can buy a car, a home, clothes, food and almost everything else which is important to the human soul.
But happiness alone cannot mean as much to the individual, if they are unable to share it with others, often with one special person whose beliefs and aspirations are the same - and who can both give as well as receive love. So knows the person who has travelled alone and seen the miracles of nature and been unable to share the feelings of awe and wonder that fill their soul with another.
Love can bring to the soul more meaning that money or even health, and even if these other elements are missing, then the desire for love can become the most important of lifes aspirations.
The acquisition of happiness must include work - being able to do something and obtain accomplishment from it brings to the human soul a sense of satisfaction which cannot be obtained in any other way. So knows the person who has built a house and seen the final completion after the long efforts involved in its construction. Or, a sculptor, who has learned to skilfully create from wood, metal or other material something of beauty, or a dressmaker whose completed work fits well on the figure for whom it was made. Even an undertaker may take satisfaction from his work, which brings peace to someone at the end of a life and a place where their remains may be laid to rest for others to visit.
So many other factors also contribute to our whole picture of how we may obtain happiness.
But as we know, all of these above mentioned factors which contribute to our happiness in this life are not necessarily permanent. Health may fail, money may run out, notwithstanding the amount of time spent in its pursuit or even how much of it is saved. Love may grow cold in time if it is not nurtured enough or if ones partner even decides so unilaterally. Work may end or age press upon the individual so as to take the joy out of it or if strength to continue becomes impossible. Even the self employed may for one reason or another lose the opportunity to continue or the energy to struggle to achieve their goals.
Even the god of all gods, beauty, may fade. As one star once said: "We all lose our charms in the end." If the acquisition of happiness is our life goal, what then happens when everything for which we have worked, sacrificed and hoped, in the end brings no lasting satisfaction ? We can of course choose to escape from the reality of our situation. We can seek happiness somewhere else than from the acquisition of money or the security of a monogomous relationship. We might even give up working and live off social security - and there are always those who will maintain the fabric of society if we dont and if we wish we can receive all we want without giving anything back. But how much real satisfaction can be obtained by so doing ?
In life there is only one thing that is sure and certain ..............sooner or later, it will come to an end.
Well, you might say, so what - at least the journey was fun! And if it all ended there, we might feel satisfied and believe that the ends justify the means - our own happiness, whatever the cost!
Life is full of twists and turns and they have meaning for us and purpose as well. But, even though we may have fine dreams, beautiful plans and the desire to obtain true happiness, there is no guarantee that we will reach our objective if we just rely on our own knowledge and wisdom.
In his book "The Other Side of Heaven", John Groberg relates his own perspective as follows: "....I am sure that it is good, that we have better information, such as weather forecasts, raports, predictions, safety inspections, auditing, and such like, but I sometimes feel that we are too full of facts and numbers and possible dangers, so much so that we do less than we should. I suppose that we can all invent genuine reasons why we dont do anything because of possible dangers, such as not travelling somewhere because of a possible storm or we dont make some business solutions because we may be afraid of losses or litigation or we dont get married or have children because of possible physical, mental, social or financial reasons.
But it seems to me that the whole of life is one great risk and just for that reason we need faith. We do what is right, regardless of the consequences. God will help us, of that I am sure. We may have health problems or accidents, financial difficulties or difficulties with our family - at least we will become what God knows we need for our growth. If we protect ourselves from too much it seems to me that we may protect ourselves right out of the Celestial Kingdom."
We cannot know in advance everything that life will bring us. We cannot predict what tomorrow will be like - we cannot know what kind of house to build when we build it because we do not know if we will be safe from the dangers of the world, from hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, unexpected changes in the weather, let alone from rising crime and other hazards. We do not know when we marry if we will have healthy children or whether our spouse will stay with us through all of life`s disappointments, troubles and sorrows. When we are born into this world we do not know what kind of parents we will have, loving and caring or indifferent, sober or drunks - whether we will have a secure environment or one of violence and neglect.
For sure we dont know about tomorrow yet - it is still ahead of us, it is the unknown future. But there is one who knows everything. He knows every detail about us. He knew us before we were born into this world. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows everything about our earthly circumstances from the moment of our birth. He even knows our thoughts. He does not desert us when we make mistakes and his love towards us knows no limits.
When we go down to the beach sometimes we may find it interesting to see what kind of stones have been washed up on the sand. Some of them have been in the sea for a very long time. They are usually of differing types of rock - different shapes, different colours - some of them have been in the water such a long time and have weathered a lot of turbulent movements of the waves. Many have been broken by the actions of the stormy currents. Nevertheless, it is surprising that always among the many different stones there are those which are almost as good and as beautiful as gemstones. They have suffered the buffeting of the seas and are washed up on the beach after having spent years in the waters polished by the abrasive actions of the water and sand. If we knew how much the sea had tested them we would be astonished that they had endured and survived the countless years of pummeling.
Life is like the sea and we are like those stones. God exists. He knows that we can become as precious and as beautiful as those gemstones, as strong and as pure even as a diamond but it has its price.
The price is the school of life. Everyone who lives must pass through it. And, there is no other means for us to graduate. Life is painful, for some it may be one long ordeal until death brings it to an end. Or, just when we think that we have been sufficiently refined by the experiences of the sea of life and reached the safety of the beach, along comes someone, sees us and sends us skimming back to the depths from which we came, where we must again be buffeted by sand and sea and refined even further.
Life is full of twists and turns. We all make mistakes - there is only one person who has ever lived and who lives who was and is perfect. Some mistakes are small and their consequences not so significant. Some mistakes are serious and their consequences cause us anguish and pain to the most extreme degree. We endure trials of all kinds, some as the result of our own stupidity, neglect or lack of desire to follow the guidance of our loving Father in Heaven. We are tried also as the result of the actions of others. We suffer. We dont want to suffer and when suffering continues too long and there seems to be no end to it we may easily become broken. Suffering is part of the refining process which makes of us valuable gemstones, eternally enduring and beautiful jewels.
From the first moment of our birth when we came forth from the safety and warmth of our mother`s womb we cried for longing. We suffered hunger and were able to drink milk from our mother`s breast and feel again what is is like to be nurtured in a warm and safe environment. We suffered also unpleasant feelings of discomfort until we were able to adapt to the new body we had received.
We suffered to be separated from our mother`s warmth and safety and we suffered tiredness from which only sleep was able to give us relief.
A tiny tiny seed contains within its core - life. It must be buried in the ground until the protection of the earth, moisture and warmth open its shell and there grows a fragile and delicate shoot. It must push out and upwards through earth many thousand times its own weight until it reaches the surface and can enjoy the light and warmth of the suns rays. Just as the seed suffers its birth and growth until it has sprouted and brought forth, so we too must suffer our growth and all its attendant pains, sorrows and hurts.
We can delay the process. We can complain and protest. We can refuse to participate. We can even withdraw from it, but no matter how much we do not want to suffer we must complete the school of life to the end. It is extremely difficult to complete life without acknowledgement, faith and trust in our eternal and loving Father in Heaven, who can protect and guide us, comfort us and give us strength to endure to the end.
Depending on how we look at it, life is either the greatest of eternal blessings and gifts or an eternal punishment and our companions in this life are all different stones which like us are in the process of refinement and which may be just in a different stage of progress than are we. If we permit and endure the storms of life trusting in our Heavenly Father`s love and care we can obtain from him strength and wisdom, albeit sometimes after the event, so that we can endure the processes different stages and difficulties - but, if we rebel against it and prevent ourselves and others from seeing it through to the end, we will unavoidably still have to go through the school of life and all its attendant trials and complete it to the end even if it takes a thousand years. If that happens, we may lose the possibility of participation when new worlds are born and new generations brought to be refined.
Life is unavoidable, but the action of its sea is much easier when we realise that it all has meaning.
Everything has a purpose and we are not alone unless we so choose. Fighting against it is futile and wastes so much time and needlessly consumes so much energy, which we need to endure the storms and the unpredictable events of life.
I testify that God lives. He loves us and he is always aware of each one of us. He knows all our joys and all our sorrows, all of our happiness and all of our tribulations. He is always willing to help us if we will trust in him and to comfort us and give us strength to endure the difficult times.
He has an eternal gps system. It may be miraculous to us but he can locate us in a second no matter where on this earth we are. We need only to extend to him the invitation.
