Anonymous wrote:My faith is strongest in my darkest hours.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful and rare of all." Can't remember when I first encountered this, but it has followed me throughout the years.

For me, I grapple with the lesson. What am I to learn from this, Lord? Faith itself is good medicine. "Be still and know that I am God" is a difficult meditation, one I've struggled with over the years because despite appearances, I am a very typical Type-A, multitasking, self-reliant monster to myself. Stepping back from situations in which I have little to no control and trusting in my deeply-seated faith has been my most important effort over the last few years.

Why did my husband become so angry and mean to me? Even after the divorce, how can he turn his back on the children he ardently wanted?
I put in so much effort to become highly-qualified in my field. How is it that employment has been so incredibly illusive?

Faith. It's what you're left with when nothing makes sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my favorite poet, Rabindranath Tagore, said: “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

Beautiful quotation - are you Bengali?

no, but I'm Indian (ethnically Gujarati)

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

What is wrong with you, PP? OP is asking for help, not your smug atheist proselytizing.

It seems like an insight meant to be helpful to pp.

2nd PP is offering snark, not insight. Seems pretty inappropriate.

Perhaps OP will find it helpful, perhaps not. At any rate, it was not meant as snark

It reads like snark, so it doesn't matter what you claim you meant. Give it a rest.

^^ Look who's talking ^^

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

What is wrong with you, PP? OP is asking for help, not your smug atheist proselytizing.

It seems like an insight meant to be helpful to pp.

2nd PP is offering snark, not insight. Seems pretty inappropriate.

Perhaps OP will find it helpful, perhaps not. At any rate, it was not meant as snark

It reads like snark, so it doesn't matter what you claim you meant. Give it a rest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

What is wrong with you, PP? OP is asking for help, not your smug atheist proselytizing.

It seems like an insight meant to be helpful to pp.

2nd PP is offering snark, not insight. Seems pretty inappropriate.

Perhaps OP will find it helpful, perhaps not. At any rate, it was not meant as snark

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

What is wrong with you, PP? OP is asking for help, not your smug atheist proselytizing.

It seems like an insight meant to be helpful to pp.

2nd PP is offering snark, not insight. Seems pretty inappropriate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

Why are you laying conditions on god? I am pp and I am saying faith is pursuing life with a 'good faith' effort before knowing every last answer, because we exist in our temporary incarnations within a larger, benevolent, intelligence of perfect and eternal wisdom. That is where study, prayer and meditation takes you.

Don't know what you mean. As for what you "say" -it's your interpretation -- what works for you and what might work for someone else - or might not. Seems to me OP was looking for options, not expecting to be dictated the one true way -- that is -- your way. I think what you describe above sounds like pretty good coping mechanisms-- I also think it seems more like optimism and self-care than faith in god. That's my opinion - has nothing to do with god.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

Why are you laying conditions on god? I am pp and I am saying faith is pursuing life with a 'good faith' effort before knowing every last answer, because we exist in our temporary incarnations within a larger, benevolent, intelligence of perfect and eternal wisdom. That is where study, prayer and meditation takes you.

I'm in a similar situation as you. My special needs son is also regressing, his therapy bills are through the roof and financially we're not stable. And having a special needs kids places extra stress on my marriage. It's hard to hold it together. But like someone said if you give God your weakness, he'll give you his strength. Go to him in prayer, pour your heart to him. Study his word, there's a power in scripture that cannot be found anywhere else. Seriously. Be part of a church community that has supports for special needs. They're out there and willing to support you during these rough times. My heart goes out to you OP, praying that you'll lean on God to help you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

What is wrong with you, PP? OP is asking for help, not your smug atheist proselytizing.

It seems like an insight meant to be helpful to pp.

Anonymous wrote:As my favorite poet, Rabindranath Tagore, said: “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

No offense, but I do not find this inspiring... just trite.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

What is wrong with you, PP? OP is asking for help, not your smug atheist proselytizing.

Anonymous wrote:I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.

This sounds more like optimism and self-care than faith in an external god who is expected to help in difficult times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My faith is strongest in my darkest hours.

Why?

I always think of the footprints poem and know that God isn't abandoning me. I've been through some very bad things but I credit my faith with sustaining me and keeping me from being suicidal.

you know this from a poem, and not from any religious authority?

I have faith, but it doesn't mean I know why things happen, or what it means. It is more a confidence that there is meaning and it is fundamentally benevolent.
But I do think that the wisdom we accrue from living is a treasure meant to be shared to help others going through hard passages.
You can't take anything material with you, but I choose to believe we take our deeds and wisdom with us.
In the darkest times i surrounded myself with inspirational writing, music and art always. Also practiced and studied yoga and meditation. In addition I threw myself into making the most of learning from the experiences, psychology, biology, experiences of others who had been through the same.
All the best on your journey, OP.