This morning, my friend Cindee Levow mused on Facebook:

“I am envious of people who believe in God in such a way that they can have faith and find strength even in life & death circumstances. That would make life an easier journey.”

I pondered her statement for only a brief period of time, since I count myself in that group. Not that I don’t doubt or question my faith when ‘life gets lifey,’ and I wonder how I will make it through the jungle. I can say that faith is  is the machete that helps me hack my way through the sometimes strangling vines of fear. My parents instilled in me the certainty that no matter what, I would make it. My father would say, “You never know what tomorrow will bring.” My mother’s que sera sera wisdom echoed, “What will be, will be.” I always felt that God had my back. My prayers back then were those of a child, who reached out to ‘Him’ as the Divine was referred to in the Judaism of my upbringing, for protection and a certain outcome. As an adult, my perception has shifted and I see myself and everyone else as a part of, rather than apart from the God of our understanding with the ability and responsibility to be God’s eyes, hearts and hands on the planet.  Although I have several times a day ‘God-versations,’ I see them as alternately monologues and dialogues, depending on my own GPS (God Positioning Service) position at the time. They take form of gratitude regardless of desired outcome. They focus on accepting whatever is for the Highest Good, even if not what I thought I initially wanted. How many times have I looked back and felt relief for what didn’t unfold and thanks for what did? I would run out of fingers and toes to count on.

Of course, I experience the proverbial dark nights of the soul and question every aspect of life. Even the Bliss Mistress gets the blues. They don’t last long, since I have developed resiliency skills that keep me (relatively) sane and vertical.

When I witness tragic events worldwide or even in my own background, I recall the lyrics to this song: