The more of life I experience, the more I think that life on earth is a type of 'boot camp' to prepare us for the 'after-life.' That thought, seems to make so much more sense of everything, to me. I do know that it is not as rigorous as boot camps are depicted, or as unpleasant - or we would have no hope in the future. God did say it's His will to prosper, and not to harm us - to give us a hope and a future ...
When I was young life seemed, to me, so much more 'cut and dried.' You simply do your best and you will have a great life and live happily ever after. Just simply think right, eat right, live right, and so on - and life will be yours for the taking! And in so doing, you are (so we're told) practically in charge of your destiny.
Having done all the 'rights' and life having not been there 'for the taking,' there is nothing 'cut and dried' about the way I think anymore ... God's dealings with man are beyond my understanding. Take Job in the Bible (a chapter I find really hard to read), for instance. I wonder what the followers of the 'Prosperity Message', 'You can take charge of your life' (theory), or 'Kingdom Now' would have said to him. From what I imagine, they would have joined his 'friends' with their 'advice.'
One reason those theories used to appeal to me, is because they kinda guaranteed ‘immunity’ to bad times. That if I got it right then I was safe, as it was only those who didn’t, that would hit hard times. And they, too, only had to DO the right things to get out of any trouble. So all was hunky dory, until all my best efforts didn’t have the prescribed results – according to my beliefs and theories. A person can still hold onto these beliefs, by blaming others or circumstances for things not turning out ‘how they should have’ but what if God had a different plan all along? When do we start letting go of our theories and start actually tuning into God?
I suppose one answer is never to judge the way God deals with someone else, or even the way He deals with us. When we start judging - love takes flight! When it's judging how God deals with ourselves - then depression and despondency set in. I don't think there are any easy, simple answers to anything and that's where faith comes in. That's when it's hardest to keep doing what's right, and to keep hope and love alive. That’s a lesson I am trying to learn.
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