God never gives you more than you can take.

While I personally don't believe God (or whatever you want to call it) has time to be my own personal Gladys Kravitz, I do think there is some force in the world (or maybe in me) that says "You thought you'd cut this class but you will, in fact, learn this."

There have been days where I just knew it couldn't get worse, but it did.

There have been days where the only thing I felt capable of was pulling the covers over my head, but I had to get up.

There have been days where I ranted and raved and hated the world and the injustice and people's carelessness and selfishness.

But when I get a little distance from it I can say "Wow. What if I'd have missed that?"

There is no doubt that life can be overwhelming, wildflower.

A friend of mine offered me two wonderful bits of advice:

Growing up is not for sissies.

and

Hold your dominion.

It's something some people tell others to comfort them, i.e. priests, therapists etc., but it's a lie.

I do believe attitude and/or faith determines whether adversity makes you stronger, or kills you slowly.

I'm currently facing events so horrible, you wouldn't believe me if I shared them. I have actually considered suicide in the lowest moments--but survived--and will not consider it again.

It astonishes me that I now feel impervious to hardship. It has brought me very close to God, and I do know that He has been my source of strength and comfort.

Wishing for you, wildflower, strength and comfort. If you make a conscious decision to get through it, you will. You just may have to let go of earthly (or society's) standards, and find another set of standards to accept. Many times, earthly failure is actually personal or spiritual success, IMO.

Sometimes life is not fair. Rain or drought happens on both sides of the fence.


When I was at my sickest running a fever of 104 recently for 6 days there were a couple dark days when I struggled with hallucinations and reality. In my mind I thought I knew I was lucid, but what the heck I'd say geesh where the hell am I??? Where's the Holy Spirit I feel and believe in with all my heart?? I felt lost, but could find seeking, and couldn't feel, awash in confusion and hallucination. Now more than ever
I feel empathy for people who struggle with depression and other types of emotional and mental illness.

email me anytime you want - I'm here.

Wildflower,

You suffer. You may feel that to know the cause of the suffering, that it has some meaning, would make it more bearable. It is a natural thing for people to ask, "why me". Recently we've read a thread here that asks if the hurricanes that batter Florida are "God's Wrath". What did we do, or fail to do, that resulted in our suffering.

Suffering is bound up with sentient being. We are born in pain, are injured by the world, become sick, grow old and die. That which we want is not obtained, and what we have is taken away. We yearn for past and future pleasures. We live our little lives with little thought, and are driven by emotions that carry with them suffering. We are envious, jealous, afraid, and angry. We foolishly wish to control the world, and others within the world. These things, all of which are intimate causations of suffering, do not arise outside of "ourselves".

Even as we recognize these proximate causes of our suffering, we want to know if there is a deeper, more inclusive cause from which all suffering must arise. Buddhism has an answer for that, and it is that the world of multiplicty and dimension is false and illusory. The Perceptual World is but a dream without a dreamer. In Ultimate Reality there is no space, no time and certainly no "self" or individual "ego". It is our attachment to these false notions that form the true cause for suffering.

In recognizing the cause of suffering, it is possible for us dream-creatures to mitigate suffering. Suffering, the product of attachment to "self" and the Illusory World, can be conquered. Individuals can be freed from suffering by awakening to Ultimate Reality. Society and the Illusory World can be managed in ways that will reduce the general suffering inherent to sentient beings.

The path that will reduce your suffering and the suffering of others is available, but you must choose it. You are fortunate that the Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha are easily available to you. The path is not easy, nor can most seekers realize the goal without long practice and discipline. Many begin the journey, but most drop out after a few years. Some catch a glimpse of the Buddha, but are so blinded by the radiance that they believe they know more than they do. It is a snare that makes the ego attachment stronger, and defeats the effort.

Pay attention. Discipline your thoughts, words and actions that their effects mitigate suffering. Life each moment to the full. Do not form strong attachments to what is transient. Live moderately seeking neither riches nor poverty. Tend to your own garden, and when there are no more weeds then you may be invited to help hoe your neighbor's field. Be patient, being outside of time and space there is infinite time for everything. Accept your own suffering with good grace and as a lesson in feeling compassion for the suffering of others.

Thanks, husk!

I was so blessed to have Rae and some other really wonderful people that really helped here on the forum. (PMs: A truly surprising web of people I consider friends.)

<dang, I miss PMs>

I'm out of the valley, and currently staking position on the mountain top! But, PM me anytime--to shoot the breeze--whatever.

I'm sorry you've been having such an awful time, Lash. It's dlowan's place to accept an apology or not but I've had a hard time not saying anything, so will say here that it was a good thing to do.

sozobe.

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
- Mother Theresa

Ha!

I've had this theory for a while that part of why so many people are insecure is because we, especially Americans, have so little adversity to deal with. I mean if we're talking about evolution, and how our brains are equipped to deal with life (which we're not, we're talking about God, sorry, hope the digression is OK) we're talking about cave people. And cave people had to deal with ISSUES, baby. Am I going to be eaten by a saber-tooth tiger? (They existed at the same time as humans, right?) Am I going to starve? Is my *child* going to be eaten? Is my *child* going to starve?

Etc., etc.

I've said with utter sincerity that becoming deaf was one of the best things that happened to me -- it happened, it was awful, but I handled it. It convinced me that I can handle just about anything, and that's a nice conviction to have.

(Though I feel compelled to add that if I manage to avoid needing to handle anything else really major, that would be awfully nice... just for the record... <knocking on wood>)

Re: God never gives you more than you can take.
Wildflower,

I'm sorry to hear that you're having a bad time of things. It sucks when visiting the 'valleys' in our lives.

There's a saying that you've probably heard before, "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

I hope you feel stronger soon Wildflower!

Wildflower, I know the feeling, I really do. I never believed that statement about "God not giving us more than we can handle". but I look at God with different eyes than most, I guess.

Your being in the medical profession compounds your situation, and I am totally aware of this, believe me.

I was always impressed with Emily Dickinson, and I really don't understand why I like her and the same is true of God:


Emily Dickinson
My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close

My life closed twice before its close;
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me,

So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.



Every night and every morning
some to misery are born.
Every morning and every night
some are born to sweet delight,
some are born to sweet delight,
some are born to endless night.

WILLIAM BLAKE

Lash, I am stunned that you have had problems, and it only goes to show that what we see, we don't always know.

(That's mine!)

Those words have always given me the strength to keep on keepin' on. Just knowing that whatever is being put upon me I can handle, because The Creator has got my back, is empowering.

Although I do believe this addage - if he constantly gave you more than you could take - those people would not be around to complain.

Also, if God does not give me more than I can handle - he must not think I can handle very much - I am pretty charmed.

TTF

I don't think God is involved and directing all or even most situations you encounter in life; that is an impossible conclusion to reach if you accept God permits freewill and random events happen.

Secondly suicide is too frequent to say people can cope, people get pushed over the edge all the time.

So from a faith perspective I think most people who believe in God see him as far more involved and directing things then I can accept from either a faith or science perspective.

I agree g-day. If there is a God he must remove himself from most interference in order for me to have free will. I still think miracles are possible - but they are the acception - not the rule.

God never promised us he wouldn't give us more than we couldn't handle. Some people make that promise for him. But, he never made it. God did promise that he will never, ever abandon us.

Aa scripture thar is ofteb mis-interpreted 1 Cor 10:13. "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."

The scripture is really taking about temptation to turn away from God and to deny our faith. That test we can never really escape.
Faith is a response to unspeakable pain, loss and suffering.

Why Bad Things Happen to God's People