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When I was in my late twenties I moved from Missouri to Idaho for a year and a half. Why I did so is something of a mystery. Idaho was mentioned in a conversation once with a friend, and while he was speaking, a vivid picture sprang up in my mind, accompanied by a sudden longing to go there. I'd recently spent time in Colorado and felt drawn to the mountains again. But why Idaho? All I know is the strange longing stayed with me, and about a year later, I packed up a few possessions in my old white Chevy and drove west to Boise.
I found a room to rent in a cheap apartment near Boise State University with 2 other girls for roommates, and immediately started looking for work, since my meager savings wouldn't last long. Every day I scanned the help wanted ads, made phone calls, drove downtown, then parked and trudged the streets, filling out applications.
One hot afternoon as I was making my rounds, a young man walking his bike along the sidewalk stopped beside me, introduced himself and asked if I was a student at the university. He was a student himself, and had seen me on several occasions.
I said no, I was looking for work.
"What kind of work do you do?" he wanted to know.
"Well," I said, "I've worked at three different newspapers doing ad layout, but I'll take anything I can get to start."
"Ah," he said, "I think I can help you. Come with me."
He took me to an office building (I've forgotten what kind) that had an index of all the newspapers in Idaho belonging to the Associated Press. He suggested I type up my resume at the school library and send it to any of the newspapers that looked promising. After giving me a few more helpful suggestions, he wished me well and went on his way. I never saw him again.
A short time later, the Wood River Journal in Hailey, Idaho, a small mountain town near Sun Valley, contacted me, requesting an interview. It was the newspaper I most wanted to work for. Later on the same day, I got a call from the Ore-Ida potato company in Boise, where I'd filled out an application. They needed a layout artist, and I was well qualified for the job. If it hadn't been for the mysterious young man I'm sure Ore-Ida would have hired me. But instead I took the job in Hailey, met wonderful people and had many exciting adventures. So because of a small act of kindness, the young man (I've forgotten his name) altered the course of my life. Who knows what would have happened if I'd stayed in Boise? I still get a shiver up my spine when I think of that encounter, because I'm certain it was not a random happening. The whole Idaho experience from start to finish was packed with significance for me. Something deep in my soul pulled me there, then I was guided to Hailey, where I needed to be. Someday I must thank that young man, one way or another.
We all have life-altering experiences, some of them so brief, so subtle that if we're not paying attention they pass us by like a whisper and disappear. We're mostly taught to view them as coincidence and give them no more thought.
Every tiny thing we do affects the world and us. Once we act, consequences are set in motion. Does it make sense that we would have nothing more to do with our actions, right or wrong? Will they not return to us? Will we not return to finish important work that was interrupted, balance relationships that need healing?
Of course we all err, and forgiveness is a big part of Christian faith. But forgiveness doesn't wipe the slate completely clean. We still need to be allowed to correct our mistakes and show gratitude for gifts given. How can we grow as spiritual beings if we don't have the opportunity to do so on the same playing field as where they originated? Losing that chance would mean losing something very precious.
Order and system rules our world. Genetics determine our physical bodies down to the length of our eyelashes. What, then, determines our soul and spiritual qualities? Surely what we bring with us into life in the form of aptitudes, talents, inclinations, likes and dislikes are due to order and system as well. We don't inherit soul qualities from our ancestors; they belong only to us. A child can begin playing piano at three years of age when none of his family members are musical. Identical twins can have completely different personalities.
Karma is not simply about being punished for bad behavior and rewarded for good. It's about learning to take responsibility for the consequences of our actions. It's about balance. Life always seeks balance, and I believe we play an active role in determining what life experiences will give us the greatest opportunities to bring us ever closer to living in harmony with the true and the good. And meeting misfortune doesn't necessarily mean we've done something bad. Sometimes random happenings occur. Sometimes there is group karma that affects a whole nation, or race, or other groups, large and small. And there is the taking on of karma as a sacrificial gift. Think of what Christ endured for all of us.
If we view our sorrows and struggles as a way to help perfect ourselves, that perhaps we chose these very struggles, it changes everything. Instead of feeling like a helpless victim and sinking under sorrow and resentment, we can feel blessed for the opportunity to grow. How many times have we seen people overcome terrible hardships who say they wouldn't change a thing in their lives because the suffering made them a much better person? Often they are inspired to help others in similar situations.
The bible promises us eternal life. One lifetime is only a tiny blip on the radar when compared to eternity. How will we spend the rest of our existence? Eternity is a very long time! Does it make sense that we're only given one shot?
Many people believe the bible is clear that we only live once on earth, but others interpret the words differently, and many devout Christians embrace the teaching of reincarnation. In any case our beliefs shouldn't prevent us from examining our own lives with an unprejudiced eye, pondering the meanings of important events and searching our souls for deeper understanding of life and death .
If we settle for blind faith without ever questioning, we never evolve. The world was once believed to be flat. Innocent people were burned at the stake by "Christians" because it was thought they were witches. We've come a long way, but still have a long way to go.
Faith is a powerful, life-sustaining force, and sometimes it's all we have to cling to, but If we are to foster the growth of spiritual truths amidst the ever-rising tide of materialism, then blind faith is not enough. It must be transformed into solid knowledge. Human beings have dormant organs of perception that, when developed, give us as firm a footing in the invisible spiritual world as we have in the physical. Others have achieved this through dedication and hard work, and eventually these abilities will come to all of us. But meantime, anyone with a well-functioning brain, an open mind and a good moral compass can find his or her way to higher knowledge. Studying anthroposophy, esoteric Christianity, sacred geometry, biodynamic agriculture, (even the elements hold profound secrets of creation!), spiritual science can enrich our understanding and appreciation for the bible and its great mysteries, many of which we haven't even begun to comprehend yet.
And we needn't shun materialism. It has it's purpose. It's given us great leaps of knowledge and power in the world. But it needs to be balanced by spiritual wisdom, so the two can work together for the greater good.
Thank you for reading!
