Embrace

We try so hard to avoid "suffering." We think that somehow we will be the only people on the face of the earth that can avoid something happening that we do not like or want to happen to us. We think that we "should never" suffer. "If God loves me I would not have to be going through this," we say to ourselves. Everyone expriences some kind of suffering. We all will experience pain. We have come to believe that we should never experience this kind of thing. Think about it for just a minute - tell me someone you know that has not experienced some kind of pain or suffering. Now be honest - we all have expereinced death, a lack of something we need, and circumstances that we would not want to have happen. We really should prepare ourselves for suffering, not look for it around ever corner, but understand it will come and be prepared and even embrace it.

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?"

Mark 8:34-37

We think that if we could just get everything we want we could avoid suffering, but Jesus is saying that will not happen. If we think that we can help ourselves throughthe accumulation of wealth, things, or popularity. These things do not help us avoid anything. Our true self is not about these things. Our true self is eternal and spiritual. We come into this world with nothing and we will leave with no thing so what else could be the point of our life but to give it away. Embrace your suffering Jesus says. Wow what a tall order we say. However, if life is viewed through this lens - that who we really are is a spiritual being who is having a human experience and we do not need anything to experience the joy of life - then suffering is minimized and we can actually use these experiences as teachers for our life.

If you have not done so find a time to watch Dr. Wayne Dyer PBS special in the coming month. Watch during the second hour as a man that was burned at the age of two comes out with no hands and plays the drums. The more amazing thing is listening to him talk about the gift given to him by God and how it would be insulting to God, family, and everyone not to embrace his suffering and move forward in life.

Namaste'