God, Gratitude, Journeys, and Prayers

I am not exactly what you would call a very spiritual person. At the risk of offending any readers, I think it’s important for me to state that I do not identify myself as a Christian or as a part of any other established religion. As I look around at the world and see all of the amazing things that exist, I feel there must be something greater than me – something or someone that created all this wonder. But beyond that, I have very little definition or parameters that explain what “god” is or how she operates. I guess it’s best to say that I believe in the idea of one god, but many paths. There is more than one way to feel the presence of god and to honor her.

The one thing I know that truly connects me to god is the feeling of gratitude. Thank you, god, for trees and flowers. For lakes and wind and sun and snow. Thank you for animals, for laughter, for family… for humans. Thank you for the experience of knowing love. I don’t fully understand what god is, why she created this universe, or even why I am here. But I know I am grateful and appreciative to experience all of these things. For me, this gratitude is the basis of everything I believe. We honor god by nurturing, respecting, and taking care of the things we appreciate.

Many, many years ago, I gleamed an important lesson from the iconic movie The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and all of her companions travel to Oz to see the great wizard. They believe he will be the answer to all their prayers – that he will give them everything they need to feel complete. But when they get to the wizard he doesn’t really give them anything at all. He simply shows them how they each already possess the attributes they are seeking. They didn’t need to receive anything from the wizard – they needed the journey to Oz to discover their own strengths. The lion learns he is brave during a challenge, the scarecrow learns he is smart during a crisis. The final destination wasn’t the point – it was the journey that mattered. I think Glenda says, “You had the power inside you all along. All you had to do was wish it so.” I don’t think the goal of life is to end up in heaven. I think the goal is to learn and to experience as much as you can on earth. It’s not about the destination, it's all about the journey and what you learn about yourself along the way.

Anyway… I started this philosophical post because I wanted to acknowledge all of the many people who are praying for me. Many of my friends have told me they are praying for me and they have asked their church or family to pray for me as well. While prayer is not one of the paths I personally use to reach god, I am respectful that others have chosen that route and appreciative that they include me. It honors me. Thank you.

Well, hmmmm…. I wonder what lessons I’ll be learning on this next part of the journey.