Tell Me About Your Faith

Recently,  I’ve found myself battling some internal struggles that I didn’t want to discuss with family and friends. For whatever reason, mostly due to the subject matter, I believe, I found myself reluctant to divulge these issues to the people in my life that I trusted the most. And, so, without some sort of release or insight from others, this turmoil is starting to weigh heavily on my psyche, my spirit. It’s bringing me down and making me short and snappy with those closest to me. It’s made me almost bitter and the people who deserve it the least are usually those that I end up unfairly lashing out at. That is not the person I am, and certainly not who I want to be. So I’ve been trying to explore other options for guidance and wisdom when I don’t feel comfortable bearing my soul to those around me.

I have a co-worker who has this aura of peace about him that emanates so fiercely from within him that it infects all of those lucky enough to be around him. He has this certainty about himself and his faith, and the confusing, messed up, cruel, beautiful, breathtaking, debilitating thing called life that we’re all struggling through; and he genuinely loves being able to help others find that same certainty. I kind of want him to be my life coach. I know that he, like all other humans, must suffer from life’s every day hiccups like the rest of us do. But it is how he copes with it that is so admirable. And that is why, on Friday, I asked him how it is that his faith offers him the ability to cope so well, and he took time out of his day to explain to me how he has gotten to this coveted point in his life. I honestly felt very fortunate to be given entry into the private sanctum of his life. I read enough fiction to know that his life could rival any Greek tragedy for worst lot. I don’t want to get into any details to secure his privacy, but suffice it to say that my paltry little personal issues paled in comparison to the trials and tribulations this man has faced in his life. And still he possesses this much poise and peace? That alone gave me some much-needed perspective.

After he wrote out his laundry list of tragedy, he told me that the only reason he can get out of bed in the morning is because of his faith. He accepts the trials and tragedy as God’s way of testing him; his strength, his perseverance, his determination, and of course, his faith. He believes that he was burdened with this seemingly unbearable loss because God thought he could handle it. That’s not to say that he didn’t suffer from a loss of faith in the eye of this tragic storm, as he assured me he did. But after he sought help, he found his way back to faith, and is a better man for it.

And therein lies the purpose of this post. The reason I reached out to this colleague is because I knew that God cultivated his contentment. He finds this peace because he has found God. But he also explained to me that, while he is a loyal and faithful son to his God, he does believe in Religion. He believes that as long as you love God and live your life well (helping others, treating all others as equal, and just all-around being a positive contribution as opposed to a negative one), that you are living a Godly life. He does not believe that you have to call yourself a Catholic, a Baptist, a Buddhist or a Muslim in order to live a good life. Basically, all of his values mirrored mine; and so I realized, we aren’t very different. While he attributes his outlook on God, I attribute it to my own clear mind and a Mother who engrained those values into my lifeblood.  But at the end of the day, if we’re reaching the same conclusions, then who cares what we label it?

So here’s what I want to know from YOU, my lovely readers. If you subscribe to a religion, or have strong faith in God, I want to know why. I want to know what comfort you gain from that belief alone. I want to know what you do in your darkest moments. Do you pray? Do you simply have a one-sided conversation with the sky? Do you read the bible? Do you think all of that is a load of crap and instead find escape through meditation? If you’re willing to share, I will be honored, and will read your well-thought out comments with an open mind.

But, please, I am not here to be converted. I am simply on a search. I am not asking you to try and preach to me or change my mind. I only want to know what it does for YOU, not what you think it can do for ME.