What the hell?

You know what? Stuff happens. We make plans. Sometimes they work beautifully and sometimes they don’t. We fall in love. Sometimes the relationship works, grows and lasts forever and we’re filled with happiness and joy. And sometimes we have to pray not to hurt somebody reeeeaaaaaaaallllllll bad for what they (and we) have done and gone through. Sometimes life is so delicious we don’t have enough napkins to wipe up nor biscuits to “sop up” the yummified juice . And sometimes the lyrics to Marvin Gaye’s iconic song, “Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) sums up our experience perfectly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJR71e6zTtc&feature=related . I don't know about you, but sometimes I just have to ask, "What the hell?!!!!!!!" And "hell" has TWO syllables! That's hay-yell!

So, what do you do? I mean what are we supposed to think and do? How are we to react when life doesn’t kiss, hug and caress us, but instead smacks us up-side the head, and not too gently? I mean really. When I'm feeling like I'm in hell and having an AWFUL time, sometimes it just plain hurts. And sometimes, I'm doing good to just say, "What the hay-yell?!!!!"

Many people say, “It’s God’s Will.” I’m like, “Really?” What the hell? What kind of God deliberately sets us up for heartache and failure? The God I know and love who IS Love wouldn’t do that? I’m sure because I’m a parent and I know there’s no way in heaven or hell I’d deliberately hurt my children. No way, no how. I believe that God is Love and that’s the bottom line. And since that's so, I believe God is always doing loving things that show UP as loving things. But, sometimes, I just don't see it. (Of course, you may believe whatever you want and you know I love you as you do.)

I believe that myriad things conspire together for our temporary experience to be what it is and I believe sometimes God allows it. I also believe God isn’t standing there, arms crossed, passively. What kind of God is that? I wouldn’t want any parts of that kind of God. I mean, if I were dating someone and they deliberately caused or watched me fall off a cliff and then just looked or waved at me as I plummeted to my death, I’d be asking, “What the hell?!!!!!” And I'd have a few choice words for that person before I hit the ground. So I don’t believe God does that.

Here’s what I believe God is doing while we’re going through our stuff and asking "What the hell?!!!!!" I believe God is looking at everything, arranging and organizing the pieces of the puzzle of our lives so that we can find and experience Love – even as the flame of hell are lickin us to death.

In the midst of this hell, we have the opportunity to realize we are experiencing hell and then choose to actively, aggressively seek and experience Love. Sometimes that means staying in the situation and being and exuding Divine Love ourselves and, by so doing, we experience Love. Sometimes it means leaving the situation lovingly because THAT'S the highest good for us and everyone else. Whether we stay or go, when we are experiencing Love, the flames (pain, sorrow, anger, confusion, etc.) become cooler and cooler until they are no longer burning, but are warming us with the joy, gratitude, peace and thankfulness of lessons learned, trials overcome.

Folks, when I’ve “come to myself” as my Grandmother used to say, and realize I am the co-author of my experience and that I can choose to experience hell or Love, a few things can happen: 1. By pumping up the Love, I transmute/change the situation so that it actually becomes Love; (2) the situation doesn’t change, but my experience in it and thoughts about it does change so that I am experiencing and projecting Love; or (3) the situation stays the same and I remove myself -- lovingly but certainly I'm outta there. Either way, I no longer experience the flames. No, no, no, no. Instead, I experience the reality of the warm embrace of Love.

What ‘cha think of that? I invite you to try it!

LIFEWORK:
1. Acknowledge when things are going well and/or you are experiencing Love and when things are not going well and/or you are not experiencing Love.
2. When you are experiencing Love, share it with others. How? In whatever way feels most Loving!
3. When you are not experiencing Love, look it squarely in the face. Call it by name. And if you're to deeply in it and you can't, that's when you call on someone else who CAN and will stand in the gap for you because they love you just that much. (I can see I'll have to write about that one day soon -- standing in the gap.)
4. When you're burning, get in touch with all the feelings and thoughts you have about the experience, yourself and people and things involved. Express them. Ex: I am angry. I am confused. I’m sad. I’m so bored I could scream! I feel disrespected. I feel betrayed. Whatever your reaction is, look the hell directly in the face. Don’t flinch or turn away.
5. Now bathe everything – the hell (the experience of lack) with Love. Ex: I’ve lost my job. How can this be a benefit to me and others? Ask that and questions like it until you have no more questions. Then, challenge and open yourself up to God. Ask: How will not having to go to that job be in my highest good and the highest good of everyone I’m connected with? Then, be silent. Open yourself up to hear the ever-present answers. If you hear voices and words, or feelings to the contrary, embrace them. Love them. Add them to the question. Don't argue -- that's a distraction and just pulls you further down into the spiraling black hole.
6. Notice the stirrings of different thoughts/feelings. You’re co-creating Love! Congratulations.
7. Continue to focus on Love, knowing that Love is an action word and you’ll be guided to powerful, loving actions that benefit you and everyone around you.
8. Enjoy the process, the journey, and the positive, loving Outcome. Using the example above where the thought and reality are “I’ve lost my job.” look to see how you are led to invest the time, looking for a new job that is better in every way for you; building your network; (how ‘bout this one) getting in touch with your dream and calling, what you’ve known you really want to do and just weren’t doing it and DO IT!
9. Laugh and love. Yes, and eat and pray too!

I love you!