Friday, January 29, 2010

Pain is weakness leaving the body

So it's been a few days (okay months) since my last post. I know... I know... successful bloggers post regularly. Guess that just means I'm not a successful blogger.

A few years back I attempted to get back into the gym for some weightlifting. I learned several things.

  1. If you are active in a weightlifting program now, don't quit. Getting started back is a pain... literally, on many levels.

  2. I'm not as young as I used to be.

  3. As I've gotten older bigger numbers aren't as important as they used to be (age, weights, lbs., etc.)

Probably more if I took the time to contemplate it. But that's not why I started this post. One of the interesting quotes I learned from the guy I lifted with was:
Pain is weakness leaving the body.

One of the things I've been learning on my journey is the concept that any growth in my walk is usually associated with pain. This is a huge conundrum for those who don't know Father. Most folks seem to hold a view that if there is a "god" he, she, or it would always have everything rosy in the lives of that which he, she, or it created. A god who allows, even initiates pain in the lives of those who are dedicated to follow is not only foreign but to them a major stumbling block to any belief.

What makes this even more interesting was a recent Facebook post by a friend who is trying to find her way on a path of spiritual enlightenment and is grappling with God vs all other "systems". Here's two posts that appeared almost back to back:
I was talking to my friends about the various thoughts regarding GOD and my Friend said if God was really real, why would all those people in Haiti be suffering so much... I was speechless and Like DA I dont know??

And then...
If you look at the Mystic law of the universe suffering is a necessity in order to awaken compassion and enlightenment ~?~ but why with out no food and water??

Of course this line of questioning was all brought on by the tragic earthquake in Haiti but it did make me realize something very important. I'm not 100% sure where the last quote comes from but I'm guessing it's some alternative-to-God system of spirituality that's out there. As I contemplated what I was reading I realized often people hold the "one true God" of their perception to a different standard than any other religious teaching they explore. It's not okay for the God of the Bible to allow or cause bad things to happen to good people... in fact, in their thinking that's why "He" doesn't really exist, yet, it's noble and natural in other spiritual systems they often consider viable for suffering to bring about maturity. Have you encountered this before?

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