| |
| |
|
Just Between Us - FREE Spiritual Information for anyone interested. |
|
|
|
Unfinished Business (Part 1)
Most of life can be said to be bad, or problematic, or painful, or sorrowful. Every great religion acknowledges this fact regarding life. Loved ones will die; chronic and painful sicknesses will begin; all manner of afflictions to the body and mind will occur. These are sorrowful things but all a part of life. Life is a lifelong struggle that was forced upon us. We had no say in the matter. We were afforded no opportunity for a "trial run." We were not allowed a menu of options to choose from regarding our culture, physical attributes, or the country of our birth. We were forced to accept life and whatever condition in which we found ourselves. So these things suggest to us that destiny is beyond our control. Life is risk filled. There is a certain degree of risk taking in every venture we pursue. And we never have total security within ourselves for we know that every moment we live our lives are in constant danger. A stray bullet may hit us, a car emerging from nowhere may crush us, a clumsy slip of the foot may incapacitate us, a natural disaster may kill us. So life is unpredictable. But I think one of the most tragic realities about life is in its incompleteness. All labors whether good or bad must come to the same end: "It is soon cut off and we fly away." Some of our days are pleasant, others tragic, most are a mixture of good times and bad, but all are ephemeral and transient. And, we know that our lives are dying lives. The first second life begins, is the first second life begins to end. Everyday we manage to somehow survive; we have only gained another step towards our grave. We are continuously sliding down the stream of time into the ocean of eternity. We make plans and set goals in life never knowing the time frame under which we are working. And somehow, due to lack of sufficient time, our greatest goals in life are never realized. For just when we see it within reach, it is cut off and we fly away. Some of us in our youth started out vigorously and courageously determined to move mountains. We dream dreams of conquering the world and alleviating social ills. We make plans to be the best nurse, or the most dedicated lawyer, or the most sincere politician, or the most devoted preacher. We are determined, like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Bethune and others to make radical changes in the world. But then, when we are aged, most of us make the painful discovery that we have only in a lifetime, moved a tiny pebble. Staff Sergeant Jarvis D. Anderson wrote in his poem "The Unfinished Cathedral", The query comes: How long is Life? Threescore and ten - how fast they fly! What I am suggesting is that our lives are incomplete lives. We leave with unfinished business; we get no closure; we do not get to do all the things that we want to do. Father Time will not permit it. Building a temple for God had been David's dream. He himself lived in a magnificent palace of cedar wood, while the earthly home of God was a plain Tabernacle, a simple tent enclosed by some curtains. His conscience was piqued by this apparent incongruity. All, that was material and human of Israel, David's kingdom and power, was expressed in richness and splendor. On the other hand, all that was the source of Israel's divine power and interests was relegated to a worn, ragged tent enclosed with flapping curtains. David was moved by the disparity of the situation; he in a house of cedar, God in a tent. David desired building a temple for God that would reach great heights in dignity on Mt. Zion. Night and day he contemplated the construction and erection of the temple. It became his all-absorbing ambition; it was his ultimate concern and was to be his ultimate fulfillment. This is not to say that David did not have other aims because he did. He wanted to make Israel a great nation. He wanted to uplift the standards of his people. He wanted to extend his dominion and the influence of his empire. But in spite of all these secondary and tertiary goals, his primary ambition was centered on his infatuated notion of building a house for God. And so down through the centuries we hear the echoing of the words of David, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." The tragedy of David's vision lay in the fact that it never became a reality. He became so occupied with statecraft; so engaged in warfare, so preoccupied and busy with the affairs of the world, that the time never came, when he could lay aside these temporal matters and build a house for God. So we learn that the great King David went to his grave with his great purpose and fulfillment unrealized. The great hope that he cherished in his heart never came to pass. And so it is with us. (continued in Part 2) Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon. You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Soul's Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library. Blessings to all!
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Accept Life On Its Own Terms Those living on the highest levels of life have learned to accept life on its own terms. There are some realities about life that we must accept. How to Hear the Voice of God In this series I would like to take you through the Word of God to show you how we can all clearly hear the voice of God. I would also like to show you how to train yourself in hearing and being led by the voice of God. Animal Spirit Guides & Totems Animal spirit totems can be viewed in different ways according to each of us as individual people. The basic principle of an animal totem is an animal spirit who gives us insight into ourselves, a glimpse of the divine powers at work in our world, and can transcend us to a place of healing for ourselves and other people. 8 Ways to Plant Spiritual Ideas Deep in Your Heart The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts and principles into the Heart's fertile ground. Ideas must get through habitual and familiar filters; otherwise, the information is diverted from having its full power. Time for Healing We have to go through some unfortunate experiences sometimes in our life. When you speak with other people you will always find out how easy your experience is in comparison to what they have suffered. Ancient Wisdom: Can it Still be Applied Today? *Advice on living a humane and compassionate life.According to text in the Bible, King Solomon had spoken with God and asked for divine wisdom. How to Test the Spirits There is a specific technique that a Shaman uses to determine if spirits, guides, entities, beings that visit him or her are beneficial or not. It is an ancient technique that has been around as long as Shamanism has been around. Pray Without Ceasing "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 16-18, NIVThroughout the long year of trying to figure out how I could joint venture with Saving Grace Enterprises I've just known it would eventually happen -all in God's time of course. Spirituality: Enlightening Cinema "Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. Art of Living - Finding It's a Wonderful Life In Corrogue I am finding it's a wonderful life.Let me share with you how this happens. Integrity and Spirituality The concept of integrity has arisen often in discussions of spirituality. What do we mean however when we invoke this concept in this context? What is the role of integrity in spirituality? How will we know it when we encounter it? More importantly what will be the consequence to us if we choose to remain ignorant of its crucial importance as a foundation stone to our spiritual enlightenment? Here I intend to address these questions and to give a fresh perspective on how to achieve what I will define as Spiritual Integrity. Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 6 Matthew 2:16-18Herod Kills the Children16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more. See You At Midnight: Strategy For Terrific Speed To Greatness! The gate of every year is the begining of that year; the gate of every month is the begining of that month; the gate of every week is the begining of that week; the gate of every day is the wee hours (from 12midnight) of that day. Are you presently STRANDED or STAGNANT in your journey in life? It is perhaps because you're locked out by a gate-keeper, from entering into fulfilment and you don't even know. 5 Paper Management Tips for Christians My favorite scripture is Roman's 8:28. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Why Jesus? There are many contradictions in life and none more easily seen than when contrasting how God teaches us to live by His Word, the Bible, and how we are taught in the world, the school of hard knocks.For instance the classic for me was to 'look after number one', because nobody else was going to look after me. The Mirror of Truth James 1:23-24Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like?Standing, gazing aheadAn image of Truth has been placed before meThere, a reflection of myself.So vivid, and so clearEvery detail has been meticulously capturedIt sickens me to think it must be me. Believe-Dont Doubt; Give Thanks-and Receive! Does this ever happen to you? You ask God for something but you don't believe that you will receive an answer to your prayer.As an example, let's say you want your child to be accepted into a certain school. Anam Cara - Watching The River Flow I love rivers. I have for many years lived away from rivers. Experiences With Angels All of my life I had heard, read and sang about angels, not really giving a lot of thought to or about them. Just before my mother passed away in August of 1984 she told me of her wonderful experience of a visit from an angel. Halloween Rites For some of us, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!!! If you want to be unusual dress up as a nurse, secretary, grocery clerk or bank teller this year. Gypsy, vampires and shaman wanna-bes are everywhere already!Or you could get all Martha Stewart about it and practice the following festive rites, which find their origins in the British Isles and Europe for that "authentic" Halloween experience.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
