Sheep and Goats
Are you a sheep or a goat? Be careful before you answer! I’ve always pondered God, Jesus, spirituality, and the meaning of life. I always have questions. I’m as bad as a child when I start the “but why” game in my mind.
Let’s start with the age old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” We start the blame game. “God, why did my child die? Why do people get Alzheimer’s? Why do we work so, so hard and never get ahead of our financial woes? Why are there diseases like cancer that take mothers and fathers away from their children? Why were we even born if we have to die?” Poor God, He has so, so many wondering why. We want answers and we want them now. That’s the humanness in us. The way Sal the Confounded Gal deals with this is praying and knowing the answers are waiting for us on the other side of our earthly life. I know my purpose here is for something bigger. How? It’s so hard to explain, but I feel it tugging within my heart.
Here’s the one that hit me during mass Sunday and I know you think about this one, too. How? It’s a gift most teachers have. It’s called intuition. Drum roll please… “Who gets to go to heaven and who goes to hell?” I hear you asking yourselves, “Is there a heaven or hell? Do we just die? Is religion really like a drug to control the masses? Is it just wishful thinking?” These are all tough questions. Students, I’m proud of you! Tough questions lead to knowledge. I think about our earthly lives and how so few are consistently, truly blissful. Admit it. Almost every day there is a glitch in your day. Life on earth is tough. It’s a quest full of so many ups and downs. When we complete this race, I feel we will be given eternal peace, rest, and bliss. Next, I think about the complexity of human life. Our genetic codes are so otherworldly. Then, I look at babies. Yes, babies. Each birth is a miracle. It can’t be replicated with science. It’s not a willy-nilly happenstance. We, humans, are created with such intricate detail. The whole baby business screams of a creator which brings me back to a good vs. bad. Therefore, we have purpose, choices, and free will. Good things come to those who love God, Romans 8:28. The concept I have to continually remember is that I am not the judge. My job title concerns living by faith and good works. I leave the rest to my Creator. So let’s go full circle: Are you a sheep or a goat? Sunday in the sermon, the sheep went to heaven and the goats to hades. Some days I’m definitely a goat desperately trying to be a sheep. I’m so glad I have a shepherd that forgives. He helps me with my purpose. Today if you’re acting like a goat, stop, and remember your purpose. Remember always “To the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.”
Sarah Anderson Alley
Sal the Deep-Thinking Gal
Quotes of the Day:
“Regardless of your chosen faith, at the end of your life’s journey, your heart will be measured in two ways. One, the weight of your conscience must far outweigh the weight of a feather. Two, any impurities in your heart must weigh no more than one feather. The purer your heart, the lighter your spirit will be. The lighter your spirit, the closer to light it will float. The closer to light it is permitted to go, the higher it will float. The higher it floats, the closer to God you will be. Heaven has seven layers. The vibrations of your good deeds, which will be reflected by the weight of your conscience and the purity of your heart, will determine the layer in which your soul will reside. Your goal is to make your heart as light as a feather. The heavier the heart, the more chained to this hell it will remain.”
Suzy Kassem
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.”
Emma Bombeck
“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.”
Leo Tolstoy
“No matter how much we try to run away from this thirst for the answer to life, for the meaning of life, the intensity only gets stronger and stronger. We cannot escape these spiritual hungers.”
Ravi Zacharias
“The meaning of life. The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: ‘grace.'”
Max Lucado
showtunessal 