UT_longhorn Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 I don't know who all of you are religious or not - but has your pain ever had you calling out to God? Has anyone found God or become closer to God through a painful situation?
witabix Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 UT, are you religious? I ask that question before posting further on your thread.
Author UT_longhorn Posted January 20, 2006 Author Posted January 20, 2006 i feel like I am a prodigal son. lets just put it that way.
witabix Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Ok UT. I think I understand that. If at any point in this reply I offend you or your views please disregard it. I hope you understand that I know where you are, emotionally, and I would only want to give you strength to carry you through. OK, having said that I will say this. I saw my Father go through his entire life with the answer to your question as an emphatic yes. He suffered seeing his Mother die in front of him, on a Sunday morning, choking to death on a bone from the dinner she was cooking her Husband, my Grandfather. He took refuge from a terrible life. My Grandfather remarried and my Father's Stepmother threw him out of the house. When he was 15. My Father took refuge in the Catholic Church. He did this out of need. To apply a balm to his wounds. He lived this life. He was a good man. Always. But hiding within his religious beliefs removed a part of him. From his Wife, my Mother, from his sons. We all lost out. He never drank, never even at Mass, not even the Altar Wine. He never did anything wrong. He was trapped at the moment at which his Mother died and lived that way for 77 years. He was a very good man, but I know he could have been a greater man. I do not believe in god, not for a moment. My Fathers 'god' would never have let such a good man suffer so much for so long. He did not deserve it. Do not look to anyone's god for answers. He is not there, never was, never will be. Find your answers here, on earth, you will be happier. You will be more grounded. There will be no mystical Gandalfs to turn to. No men in dresses on an altar of stone. No magic that simply does not work. Do not turn to the bible, quran, or torah for answers to what lies in your soul. You are what you are. You will be what you need to be. You will find the strength to continue in yourself and those others around you. You are the answer. You are the your own solution. Do not heed the mystics, the religious, astrologers, crystalographers, 'healers' or the 'psychics'. Find it in yourself, it is there, I know it, and if you look you will know it too.
bluechocolate Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Find it in yourself, it is there, I know it, and if you look you will know it too. __________________ All I know for sure is that I know nothing. Sorry - those sentences were just too close together to resist!
witabix Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Sorry - those sentences were just too close together to resist. Thats OK BC. I know that my post may upset some people here, well aware. But all that I ask is that my view is respected. Nothing more. I will always respect the views of religious people. My Father was one. I feel no need to enter a theological discussion here. UT is suffering and I understand why he is. I know the terrible pain and doubt he is going through. I understand. My view is given here, not to attack anyone, but to help a man I believe deserves help. He has helped me. I believe it is my duty to try to help him. UT, you have my thoughts, and my hope that you will, through any means possible find a sfae place to be.
bluechocolate Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Thats OK BC. I know that my post may upset some people here, well aware. But all that I ask is that my view is respected. Nothing more. I will always respect the views of religious people. My Father was one. I feel no need to enter a theological discussion here. UT is suffering and I understand why he is. I know the terrible pain and doubt he is going through. I understand. My view is given here, not to attack anyone, but to help a man I believe deserves help. He has helped me. I believe it is my duty to try to help him. UT, you have my thoughts, and my hope that you will, through any means possible find a sfae place to be. You have misunderstood. I wasn't upset at all. I should have put a smiley or sticky tongue icon or something - it was just the juxtapostion of you 'knowing' something next to your signature. Nothing more.
Author UT_longhorn Posted January 20, 2006 Author Posted January 20, 2006 witabix.. what religion...or God did for your father was to make him a wholesome and honest man. I don't understand why you don't think these qualities dont make your father a great man. In a world like today, its nearly impossible to find men like that. I think it takes the FAR greater strength to live a life of religious conviction than to live a "pleasureable" lifestyle. And when your father turned to God, he gave your father strength. He changed his life. I think thats awesome. I am also a believer in self reliance. I believe in the power of one's self. But when one is at their lowest. Where all hope and all possesion and all love is gone. And only sorrow and only despair and only hoplessness exist. What will one do? I ask God for help in my low times. You may call it a crutch. But I truly feel that he hears me. I definately do not lead a "godly" lifestyle by any means, but its those who are most spiritually down, that need God most. I respect your position watbix. I admire your conviction. This is just mine. And yes...I am by no means trying to start a theological debate.
witabix Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Thats cool UT, and sorry BC if I misread. I only come here to help people. I respect your view UT. My father was a great man. But I saw him trapped in something. Something I could never understand. He held his conversation with his god, not me, or anyone else. I do not denigrate religiously minded people. My Fathers god both gave me something that other people would die for, ie a good man as my Father, and robbed me of something. I was in training for years to be a Catholic Priest. Like Icarus the wax holding my wings in place melted, and I fell back to earth. I have no gods, no masters. And I have gone too long on this thread. I hope you get some answers UT, I really do.
Author UT_longhorn Posted January 20, 2006 Author Posted January 20, 2006 yea..thanks man. how are you doing any ways? how are you holding up?
witabix Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 witabix.. ...........I am also a believer in self reliance. I believe in the power of one's self. But when one is at their lowest. Where all hope and all possesion and all love is gone. And only sorrow and only despair and only hoplessness exist. What will one do? I ask God for help in my low times. You may call it a crutch. But I truly feel that he hears me. I definately do not lead a "godly" lifestyle by any means, but its those who are most spiritually down, that need God most. In answer to your question UT I offer this. Find understanding, of yourself. Know who you are. Recognise your strengths and weaknesses. You will survive, all that you are suffering now is transient. I read a post about taking people into a terminally ill cancer ward and then asking them what they think now. I have lain in a hospital bed, soaked in blood, covered in bruises and tubes sticking out of me, dying, being told by doctors that if I have anyone who I want to see that they must be here in 24 hours or I may be dead before they get here. Now even though I have been through that I still crack and fail in the face of lifes s***, still even now, and you know it. The evidence is here on this board. But you will get through it. You must believe in yourself and your will to get it right.
witabix Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 yea..thanks man. how are you doing any ways? how are you holding up? Didn't see that post before sorry UT. I am fine. I have made up with the gf. We have talked and decided try again. I know that is not the advice I got here. But I have to follow what feels right for me. Someone said something about standing in front a truck, and why would you want to do that? Well the truck stopped before it hit me. The driver got out, it was her! We talked for a long time, a long time, over two days, We got it sorted and now we are trying to go forward. I have to say that in just a few days we have made enormous strides forward. Time will tell. I am no ingenue. I hope you feel better my friend. Soon. If not now. Soon.
Author UT_longhorn Posted January 20, 2006 Author Posted January 20, 2006 good for you man. best of luck to what come of it in the future. thanks for ur advice as of far man.
witabix Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 My pleasure UT, always. Ask and you shall receive. Kind of ironic I know but...
Nikita20 Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 UT: Yes, I've prayed to God--several times. And, believe it or not, 2 Sundays ago, I've even gone to church. I haven't been to church in a bazillion years, because I'm not a religious person and churches make me feel uncomfortable. However, the church I went to has this really cool priest. Sometimes, he even swears during his sermons--I love it. But, his sermons are something that I can relate to. They are very personal and real. Most importantly, they make me feel good and wash away the sadness inside me. I just believe that religion is a personal matter and feel more comfortable praying by myself vs in public. However, I do believe in God and pray every once in a while--usually at night, right before I go to sleep. I don't say the Hail Marys or the Our Fathers, rather, I just talk and express my thoughts, feelings, hopes and wishes--that's my version of praying. Lately, I've been praying like a madwoman. Do whatever it takes to get through this UT. If you have to scream, cry, yell, pray, talk to your friends, talk to a counselor, post at LS, etc., to get over this, do it. It is pure hell in the early stages of a breakup, but over time, the emotional hell will subside. Just be patient and have faith that things WILL get better and YOU will get better. Keep posting. We are here for you.
ICE_MOUNTAIN Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 I don't know who all of you are religious or not - but has your pain ever had you calling out to God? Has anyone found God or become closer to God through a painful situation? yes ... i find my self become closer to God. i think there is very natural when people in trouble, people will either be closer to God or move even further. I did pray many times,asked God's strength to go through everday's life. And it did help me a lot . N many frens of mine prayed for me ,encouraged me. They cried together with me. It really helps me. however, it is totally up 2u, if u find that being closer to God does good thing , then do it. becoz for the time being, the priority is for u to get better. focuz on your self. just dont let your self down or be alone. UT, you r nt alone. I had a recent broke up too, n it was very bad . dont give up.. i understand how u feel. i do feel too... up and down. but we wont stay in this situation. one day , we are moving forward.
quankanne Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 I ask God for help in my low times. You may call it a crutch. But I truly feel that he hears me. I definitely do not lead a "godly" lifestyle by any means, but its those who are most spiritually down, that need God most. I think this is when people become most aware of him, in their need ... however, as Nikita points out, communicating with God isn't limited to just asking for his help, but having an honest-to-goodness communication with him. I find my best times are when I'm traveling alone, especially driving through the countryside – there is a lot of good thought processes going on in that conversation with him, and if I'm upset, I can bring things into perspective because I've found him to be a really good sounding board. have I turned to him in need? yes, and it's good knowing that he's not hung an "out to lunch" sign on his door
CaliGuy Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 UT, you already know your answer You are on the right track.
grace2005 Posted January 21, 2006 Posted January 21, 2006 I have gotten closer to God through heartache. I find myself praying more during the hard times. Yes I believe God is for us. I may not always feel His presence but He hears my pleas and cries. I'm not really much of a believer in self-reliance. I feel as though I can't live if I don't rely on Jesus. I'm nothing apart from Him. Sure I don't live a perfect sinless life but His grace & mercies are renewed every morning. The blood of Christ continually cleanses us from every sin imaginable. That's my belief. I believe it took the strength of the Lord Jesus to keep me from breaking NC with my ex all that time. It was not easy. It still isn't.
Becoming Posted January 21, 2006 Posted January 21, 2006 UT--I had a rotten breakup that led me back to God. This God's not some cranky big guy in the sky who needs appeased but the mysterious power that created and keeps the universe together, a force for good in spite of all the crap, something that holds us all in care, and the force that redeems what's broken. Though I had gone to church when I was a child, I was surprised to find this at the bottom of my brokenness. I wasn't expecting to find it, and it didn't feel like it was me as much as this Other. It was like finding the place in me where I was connected to everyone and everything else in the universe. God is what turned my shlt into compost for a garden of possibility, though of course I manned the spade as best I could, and that was enough. And when I'm in touch with that Love/Power/Wisdom, I'm joyful even in the midst of abject pain. For too many people, I think, God's too personal, and it doesn't show in how they treat others. If you're excluding love and loved ones, you're not really in touch with that God/Power/Love as fully as possible, I don't think. That perfect love is what makes it possible not to give in to the fear that runs most of our lives.
rik Posted January 21, 2006 Posted January 21, 2006 Love and Religion and are two different entities highly charged with emotion. If one has faith in love he will have faith in faith but if he loses faith in love he may lose faith in faith. Its tough to get back back to God after you've lost love but faith in him can do wonders incomprehensible to reason. However God works with time and things may not fall in place immediately. Better getting back to him coz we may lose nothing rather than moving away from him and probably losing out on other good things
whatwentwrong Posted January 22, 2006 Posted January 22, 2006 I don't know who all of you are religious or not - but has your pain ever had you calling out to God? Has anyone found God or become closer to God through a painful situation? Absolutely, God is watching loving and carrying. Just ask and trust.
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