It has happened to every one of us — whether it is an untimely death in the family, a beloved suffering from a fatal illness, marital problem or a financial setback - we have all had to face a crisis at some time or another in our lives. Often, we are quick to give advice to others on how to deal with the trials and tribulations of life, but the real test of whether we have truly understood the teachings comes when we ourselves face a major challenge.
Crisis is an uninvited guest that is neither welcomed nor can be kicked out of our lives easily. In short it is very frightening, painful and troublesome. Its mere mention brings feelings of remorse, sadness, fear, and regret. Is there anybody who wants to face death, financial ruin, loss of a job, or a divorce? Certainly NO! What more, we even do not wish these events on others; friends or foes.
Crisis leads towards the destruction of life and being a double edged sword completely destabilizes our life. It shakes our self belief, moral, perception & confidence and the manner in which we react to situations. However as there are two sides of every coin; there indeed is a silver lining; crisis showers upon us its blessings although in disguised form. We begin to value and appreciate what we already possess much more; something that we conveniently ignored before. Sometimes people in crisis will find an inner strength they never knew existed. We tend to develop a greater and deeper bond with God and our karmas, thus unconsciously…or consciously believing that there is someone divine looking after and watching us – guiding us. It sows in us the seeds of empathy. In short it makes us more HUMAN!
We all understand we cannot avoid the consequences of our deeds (karmas). We also know that suffering is the effect of our own karmas, which must be undergone …. to get closer to God, to become learned spiritually. Yet, when we experience some form of suffering, many of us forget what the spiritual path has taught us and we allow ourselves to be tricked by the mind, and thus, fall into the trap of thinking that the Lord has deserted us and is making us experience the worst of life. How can we help ourselves in such situations? Would the Lord really ever abandon us? How can we make ourselves strong to withstand pain and accept whatever happens as the will of the Lord? I remember hearing Amitabh bachchan often referring to his legendry father Dr Hariwansh Rai Bachchan’s quote “अपने मन का हो तो अच्छा, ना हो तो और भी अच्छा. क्योंकि वो ईश्वर के मन का होता है और ईश्वर कभी बुरा नही करता!! (If things turn up as per your wish: Good. If it doesn’t; Even Better. Because then it happens according to the wish of god and god never harms us).
"We are companions..."
First and foremost, we need to believe that the Lord is always with his disciple. In the most painful moments of life, he offers every disciple the grace of inner strength. If we truly look to him for support, then we become receptive to this grace. We can remind ourselves of the famous poem, Footprints, in which the Lord lovingly says: "My precious child, I never left you during your times of trial and suffering. When you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I was carrying you." At every moment, he is taking care of us. He will not change our destiny and neither should we ask him to, but he will be there to give us all the support and strength we need. When a child is suffering, it is the mother who feels the pain and who will do everything to relieve her child's misery. If so much love can be given by our worldly parents, just imagine how much stronger our Lord's love for us is and how much more he cares for us.
The Lords have said that our pain is also their pain, and that they are happy when we are happy, and sad when we are sad. In life, we are given so many hidden messages that we are not alone and the Lord is always there for us — we just need to believe it.
It’s just a matter of time….
Hardships and heartache will always be there. Lord has never promised us a pain-free life. But he has promised that the clouds of darkness will one day pass to allow the sun to shine again. We need to think positively at all times. Positive thoughts are not built on vague hopes, but on deep faith in the Lord's embracing and protective hand. If things do not go the way we expect them to, then we must learn to accept it. By adopting a positive attitude, we will gradually learn to face each day with hope and courage.
Things could have been worse…..
When faced with adversity, we walk around with a heavy heart, dwelling on our problems. We look as if the whole world is falling apart on us. We forget that we could have been spared from something much worse. We need to understand that the one who gives us happiness and pain knows what is best for us. The Lords continually remind us that adversity is another form of grace because it pushes the disciple closer to his Lord. In short: “Adversity is a blessing in disguise”.
Have faith and belief….Surrender and accept
It may feel at times that the Lord expects a great deal from us but he never gives us more than we can handle. He comforts us so that we endure with faith. Thus, when we are troubled, we must remember that life is filled with both light and darkness. Storms will come, but a disciple should never be afraid. Everything is pre ordained in this world. We cannot escape a misfortune or a crisis, nor can a good fortune escape us. So there is no point or sense for lamenting or rejoicing for either. Our destiny cannot be changed, so it is our choice to either moan or accept things with a positive attitude. The way we handle the situation is up to us. If we believe that the Lord is aware of everything that we are going through, then why not let things happen the way he wants them to. There is a reason for everything. By keeping our attention on the Lord, we will realise that we are not facing anything alone; that there is a guiding hand behind each one of us, giving the support and strength to face the pain gracefully. It is, therefore, our duty to do our best to live life courageously, surrender and accept, and allow life's challenges to serve their purpose - to pull us closer to him.
The blog writer is a management professional and operates a Manpower & Property Consultancy Firm. Besides, he is President of "Consumer Justice Council", Secretary of "SARATHI", Member of "Jan Manch", Non Official member of "Weights & Measurements Department", Nagpur, Holds "Palakatva of NMC" in Shivaji Nagar area and Is a Para Legal Volunteer, District Court Nagpur.
(This is a Copyright Article published in various newspapers and magzines under the name of the blog writer)
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