I was talking to someone today who’s going through a really tough time in their life and questioning if God exists. I don’t think God has sent any blessings into my life at all, this person said. It was hard for me to convince them that God is with us and sees us through our darkest hours.
On further contemplation however, I realized that even some of the most devoted saints and spiritualists, who had dedicated their life to God, had to endure suffering and adversity in their lives. And their suffering was far worse than ours and yet they did not question God or abandon Him/Her. In fact, the suffering made them throw themselves more passionately into devotion and surrender to the Almighty.
Take Mirabai for instance. She was devoted to Lord Krishna and even though she was married to another man, considered Krishna her Lord and would only serve him. This incensed her in-laws, who sought ways to torture her and even kill her. But all their attempts turned out to be futile. Poison turned into nectar and snakes turned into flower garlands due to her steadfast devotion and utter faith in the protection of her Lord.
Tulsidas, another saint from India, was imprisoned by an emperor and after he recited the Hanuman Chalisa for 40 days, he was freed. One needs to only read the biographies of saints of bygone years to know this truth—God never abandons us.
But you may argue that we’re not saints and we don’t have the kind of devotion or faith that they did. But let me remind you that in the Bible it says that all we need is the faith of a mustard seed. Even for a second during our suffering if we reach out to God and ask for His/Her help, we will receive it. God will answer prayers in divine timing. It may not be the solution we are looking for but it will be what’s best for us or something better than what we imagined.
This is why when we pray it’s best to add This or something better or Your will be done, where we completely surrender the outcome to God and let Him/Her decide what’s best for us.
Like they say it’s easy to pray to God when things are going well but when things are not going our way and we’re getting kicked around relentlessly, that’s when we should strengthen our faith and pray twice as hard. If you’ve lived long enough, you can go back and see all the instances in your life when God’s hand turned things around for you. He/She will do it again. You just have to hang in there and have faith that after this climb down, you’ll climb up again, kind of like a sine wave. Up and down. Up and down we go through the roller coaster that’s life. Through it all remember to hold on to God in the ups and hold on tighter during the downs.
To everyone going through a tough phase in their life, hang in there. God will see you through this…once again. Lots of blessings and love sent your way if you are reading this.
Punctuate Life 