Over the last three years I have spent quite a bit of time in self-introspection.
As a Christian, we traditionally refer to this process of spiritual discernment.
Most of us are familiar with this process, we just don’t know the name for it.
It would start with questions like I asked yesterday…
“What are you looking for?”
“Who am I?”
“What is God doing for me now?
“What paths are opening up to me?”
Or one of my absolute favorites….
“Why did God send that trial to me just now?”
I think that last question is a great place to start for a daily Hope thought.
As a Doctor, I have the privilege to take care of people in their most vulnerable states of health.
Broken.
Beat down.
Lost.
Hopeless.
It is an incredibly humble experience to have someone come to your office, look into your eyes, and articulate just how downtrodden they are, hoping that their journey and trial led them to me for a reason.
And at the same time, it is an experience that is packed with fear as a doctor, my own trial.
There is a duality that is present in the spiritual form and the human form.
As a Christian, I want to help every single person to the best of my ability.
I want to say to them “YES,” I can help you!!!
But then their is the human side that takes over – the side that we all have to face on a daily basis.
Are they going to see the recommendations through?
Are they going to quit halfway through their journey with me?
What if I can’t help them?
What if I fail?
I think this duality is present in each and every single one of us in our daily life.
As we check in to social media we see our “friends” through a primarily Western vision.
We see them either having no trials at all – business is booming, no obstacles present, their life just looks complete.
Or.
We see them absolutely falling apart.
But, I propose that in both instances, all of us can identify with this journey.
We have all had a season of prosperity and we have all had a season of destruction.
Meaning…we are not so different from one another in our journey of life from a human perspective.
However!
We are incredibly different on our unique spiritual journey that we have.
The human experience is just that, the human experience.
I really don’t think we will ever have the answers to some of the biggest questions we ask ourselves.
I think there will come a time where each one of us will face our own unique battle in both a human and a spiritual perspective.
The battle may not be one that we share with the world.
It could be a death of a child. It could be financial hardship. It could be an addiction to porn.
The options are limitless.
But I want to let you know that you are not alone.
While many of us may seem to “have our shit together” for lake of a better phrase, I challenge you to say the exact opposite.
However there is hope.
There is an opportunity daily to have an impact on someone’s life.
“When, through faith, we see every moment and every creature as an ingredient in the divine plan, we live in joyful surrender and with a sense of wonder.” – Bishop Barron
Why me? Why now?
That answer is easy, because it is exactly where God needs you to be at this moment in time.
As a human answer, most of us don’t want to hear that answer.
We seek control. We want concrete answers. We want to make everything perfect.
But as a spiritual answer…
We surrender knowing that regardless of just how bleak a situation may seem, there is still hope in eternity.
So.
The next time you find yourself in this situation.
Pause for a moment.
Turn off the noise of life.
Find a quiet place and start with the questions I started with.
What is God doing for me now?
What path is opening up to me?
Why did God send that trial?
Hope exists, the real question is, do we as human slow down long enough to realize that we are living in it each and every single moment?
Why me?
Why now?
