This topic on “10 things I’ve learned” is quite personal and also very explicit in its nature. I am not posting this to start a debate, so please don’t make comments/shares about it that way. Thank you.
9 - There is a Divine Source. Call it God, Buddha, or whatever other label we define it, as long as it represents Love for oneself and others is what is important to me
My Faith Journey is one of foundation, twists, turns, stops and starts along the way. I grew up ELCA Lutheran, and very proud of the foundation that provided. Growing up in Faith allowed me to follow the teachings of the old and new testament, having a belief in Jesus and God along with the great community support I felt growing up.
During my college days I taught Sunday school to high schoolers, tackling the hot button topics and having healthy discussion about what they believed, how it melded or mashed with their Faith, etc.
After college it all changed.
(For the sake of anonymity I will keep names out of the following story)
My first teaching job was in a small town of 1,200 people in central IA. I was scared. Being in a small town, where literally everyone knew something about everyone, was a little constricting and gave a sense of walking on egg-shells. I didn’t know how to act, what to say, and here I was: fresh out-of-college educator, K-12 certified, I know everything about vocal music, right?
I was very not-myself. I still went to church since that was the only sense of being comfortable. There was a Lutheran church in town, and that made me very happy. I noticed there were outside groups to be a part of, so I partook in being active in one that sounded interesting: The Doubting Thomases.
The group really took my beliefs and slammed them into a personal spin-cycle, heavy load. Talking about topics outside of what I normally did confused me at first, upset me, then interested me. I always thought that doubting my belief or testing it to see how grounded it was being a terrible thing to do. I grew up knowing that what I was told was truth. Now I looked at things differently.
When I moved into Omaha and started working at various jobs, I went to some churches but noticed there were things I didn’t necessarily fully agree with. I was moved inside to question, to research, to find out if that made sense to me or not. Seeing other religions out there interested me as well.
When 2011 rolled around and I started my Body Journey (losing weight/getting in shape/eating better), I began thinking more and more about my “faction” of faith and what that meant to me. Did I become an unbeliever? After I got my Life Coaching certification I began reading about other religions, becoming more open to other viewpoints and perspectives on faith, what God meant to other people, etc. I began looking at God less and less of a male, white bearded figure as I did growing up. I started seeing for myself that there are many paths to get to your destination, so why do we not look at religion in the same way? How are we to say that our path is the correct one and someone else’s is wrong? If we grew up in a different country with a different belief system we would think our way is the way (call it whatever system that is out there).
I began seeing God in everything. A smile, a baby’s chuckle, a tree, flower, the bird’s song, the sky. I felt love everywhere, and in it I felt great. Knowing where my journey took me, through the trials I went through was just what I needed.
Now when people ask me what I believe God is I will say, “God is Love. In everything, in you and in me. He is the great Creator.”
God is what I see as the great Creator. God designed this Earth, this universe, and it has grown longer than what I think we are aware of. If a certain religion or Faith is founded in Love for oneself and others, I agree with them. If there is a belief that is founded in Hate, I won’t disagree, but I will choose not to associate with them.
In the grand scheme of Life, the amount of time I get to spend aware of this life is too short to be lived in fear, hate, and death. I choose to be aware of Love for myself and the ones I care about, because that is the best I can do with my time alive on this planet.
If you would like to discuss about your Faith Journey with me, I would be glad to talk in more detail. Please feel free to send me a message at Brandon@alignyourjourney.com