Lessons in Life

So many people with so many different paths to God. I believe that each person's path is individual. We place ourselves here to learn a lesson ourselves, or as a support for another soul with a particular hard lesson to learn. I believe in Karma, what comes around, goes around.

I picture the universe as a giant web... and each person is microscopically small and scattered on this web. When something happens in our lives, when a choice is made, it results in a vibration throughout the web. Those that are in the closest proximity on the web will feel the most consequences (good or bad) from the initial vibration. Those on the complete other side of the web may never notice a change at all.

But think of this... There are billions of humans making choices everyday, all day long, creating good and bad vibrations constantly. That is why someone who is kind and loving and good and faithful can still die for apparently no reason at all.

Let's make this somewhat easier to understand with a hypothetical situation. A 16 year old girl is driving to the store for her mother to get milk for tomorrow's Sunday breakfast. She is driving the speed limit, wearing her seat-belt and carefully following all the rules of the road.

A few miles away, a drunken young man is leaving the bar and getting in his car to drive home. They unfortunately cross paths with devastating consequences. The young man survives, what the young girl dies.

Who is the lesson for? The young girl dies. She is not here to learn from this lesson. She is the catalyst. Her family must learn to deal with her death and how to continue living. Certainly no small task. The drunk driver must learn to deal with his guilt and the consequences of his actions. Another not so pleasant task. Some of the individuals will learn the lesson that God intended for them. Some will not. Some will change their lives for the better, some will be able to forgive themselves and others. Some won't.

But the consequences of the tragic end of this young girls life may not stop there. You have the parents of the drunk driver. They will have to deal with the fact that their son killed another human being. They will also have to deal with the loss of their son to prison. What a horrifying thought in itself. How could the mother of one ever face the mother of the other? How could the words "I'm sorry" ever be enough?

The bartender that knowingly allowed this young man to drive home drunk; his friends; a passerby with a cell phone who saw him swerving down the darkened road; all of these people had the chance to change the circumstances leading up to the event. But for whatever reason... chose not to.

Whatever you may believe, whether it be God or nothing at all, lessons are still going to be learned in such a situation. It's embedded in our nature to learn from our mistakes. When such an opportunity arises, learn the lesson that has been placed before you. Do not let the moment pass by in vain.

My husband and I were watching the new this evening, waiting for the weather forecast. I don't normally watch the news, as it seems the television stations believe that we enjoy watching heartache and pain. For whatever reason, it does seem to catch our attention, doesn't it. Devastation, loss, misery, pain, death... why do we watch? What is it in the eyes of the victims that keeps us chained to the television?

I watched the newscast as it reported on the death of a 12 year old girl in a car crash. There were three people in the car; the little girl and her two brothers, a 25 year old and a 14 year old boy. The 14 year old was the driver.

They talked of how the 14 year old had lost control of the car and flipped it, throwing the unrestrained older brother and younger sister from the car. They told us that charges were pending against the survivors.

As they talked, I thought of the parents of these three people and my heart ached. How will this mother ever resolve the storm of emotions she must be feeling at this moment? How will she ever forgive her oldest son for putting that 14 year old behind the wheel of the car? How can she not? He is her first born son. I thought of the two boys, both of whom will surely blame themselves for the death of their sister. How will they bear the enormous weight of guilt? I thought of the little girl. What gifts might she have bestowed upon this world had her life not been so tragically cut short?

Some people believe in fate; that everything in life is pre-ordained and nothing is within our control. They believe that every choice has already been made and that the consequences are inevitable. I can't bring myself to believe that. Some people believe that it is our fate to be purified by pain before we can enter the Kingdom of God. I can't believe that. If we are all creations of God and He is already perfect, then why do we need to be purified?


I have to believe that there is a reason for our existence beyond simple suffering. I have to believe that our choices make a difference; that we can learn from our mistakes. I have to believe that God notices when we make a conscious effort to live and die well. I have to believe that God does not want to cause us pain. I refuse to believe that Satan has that kind of power over us without our consent.

If what we do here on Earth makes no difference, then what is the point of doing anything? There would be no reason to get up in the morning, to go to school or to work. Why bother finding love, getting married, having children? I believe that I'm here to make a difference. We are ALL here to make a difference. God has an ultimate goal for me and he is constantly and gently guiding me toward that goal. All I have to do is be quiet and listen.