Time to Blossom

 

Like a plant, from the moment the seed was put into the ground and germinates, we began to grow.  We struggled upward, each branch with multiple budding family members, each family member creating a branch of their own.  Each bud struggles to find their way, to develop and support the branch while trying not to be crowded out by surrounding plants as they search for a path to the salvation of light.

Like these struggling buds our path takes us in and out of darkness as we struggle for nourishing light of knowledge.  Sometimes the path is straight and smooth, sometimes it twists and turns with obstacles to overcome, and sometimes we get onto a side path that either detours us on our journey, or dead ends.  The light we seek is basic and old as time.  Who are we?  What are we doing here?  What is the meaning of life?  Is there a God?  All of these answers we seek in order to answer the only truly important question, "Why?"

None of these questions are easy.  If they were, our path would be short.  But, how interesting would that be?  Life, even with all the twists and turns, can give us so much pleasure in the discovery of things, the collection of knowledge to answer life's questions.  Eastern philosophy would offer that it's the hole in the wheel, what is not there, what is unseen, that makes it useful, not the axle or the wheel.  Like the wheel it is what we can't see and what we don't know that makes life interesting.  Even in death we can look forward to yet another mystery.

Do not bemoan your struggles, make the best of them, understand them, and revel in them, as they are the lessons of life which make us more than we are.  Reach upward to the light when you find it, for in its warm glow you will blossom and know the love and beauty of creation.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with a world renowned Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.