Friday, April 29, 2011

Worth the "fight?"...

I know, I know...I said I'd be back w/ another "inspirational" type post much sooner than life actually allowed for...LOL...truth be told...this is one of those posts where I think I will click "publish" and then go, OMG...overshare.   But...you guys know me...I'm not one to 'hold back'-so here is your disclaimer and you can choose whether or not to read, haha :)

Today I have a question for you, and I'll try not to make this sound like a Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy skit because I truly do, wonder what other people's train of thought is regarding this...I wonder if people think the way I do on this subject:

Have you ever wondered...does it EVEN matter?  What I mean is, all that we "fight for"...

I sat awake one night, not too long ago, thinking of something.  If you are a Christian, like I am-or actually, even if you're NOT-it seems to me that in MANY other faiths-most of us believe that when we die, we will hopefully 'pass on'-to an afterlife- go to Heaven-or SOME enlightened place-and even more than that-we will be made "perfect".  That we will ALL be TOGETHER one day, living in HARMONY.   Ashes to ashes-back to a life without sin or evil.   If you think about it...that being said...what is the POINT, then,  of shutting people we love-or even just those we are SUPPOSED to be nice to, out of our lives?  What is the point of wasting precious time that we could be spending together...ENJOYING each other...and LOVING each other, if ALL of us came to the realization that none of our 'earthly' battles MATTER.

Now of course, before you all start commenting-I KNOW.  There are people out there who have NO intention of letting their guards down enough to ever agree with this.   I 100% COMPLETELY and totally realize that this wouldn't be possible unless EVERY human being was on board.  Will it happen?  Probably not.  But it just makes me sad to think of the time that some people waste on earth...shutting people out, judging...ANALYZING...measuring and blaming..when in reality, if they believe what I believe, one day we will all walk hand in hand, laughing, hugging... LOVING.  PERFECT hearts and souls united.  How unfortunate then, that the world has made some people so jaded...so stubborn...that it will most likely be a RE-uniting in heaven...instead of before then.  Just seems a little pointless, doesn't it?  Such a waste of time here on Earth...

I recently read a story in the newspaper about a young boy who was declared dead for several minutes before doctors were able to revive him.  He told a story about how he was with his grandmother and his sister- a young girl in heaven.  This astonished his parents and family members because he did indeed have a sister-only she was a miscarried pregnancy that he never knew of.    Expert critics agreed that surely this must have been a slip-up and that he must have overheard his parents talking about it at one point or another...his parents go so far to even agree with that, because they are still convinced the boy did in fact, go to heaven.   His father claims that the boy knew of BOTH his parents whereabouts during the time he was declared dead and that there would be no way to know that unless this were true... there were numerous other little signs here and there that really make believers out of even the most skeptical of people.... Where am I going with this?

I am SO. NOT. perfect...soooo far from it, actually...I'm just a girl iscovering the work in progress that I am...and I am LOVING life for the most part.  I am so thankful for that.  I'm very happy.  But, I am also waiting and praying on others to make this same realization and to be blessed with the resolve decision making that it's not worth wasting earthly time over things that will be completely insignificant when the time comes.   I am just grateful that I'm in a place in my life where I would welcome these people back with loving, open arms as opposed to the less-mature, less enlightened outlook I may have had a few years ago.

It's one thing to say "life is too short".  That is SO true-and sooo much of the reason I choose happiness-every chance I GET.   Practice what  I preach in this regard?  You bet.  I've seen and heard about enough horrible things happening-that i try to live this way every day.  But BEYOND this life...when I hope to 'pass on'-there won't be any room for the reasons that we may have chosen to alienate each other today, right?  SO WHY BOTHER.   Again-I'm not saying it's possible-in this life- for everyone to do this, although I so wish it was.  It's just something I thought long and hard about and just had to share to 'put it out there' since you've always been respectful to me and I respect all of you,too.  Maybe this will help someone...maybe some of you will think "yes, I have wondered that myself!"

I'm not a fighter.  I used to be, kinda.  I'm not sure that I can even tell you why, other than the fact that I have always let my feelings and/or my intellect challenge things...myself.  Others.  Instead of just being content w/ what I knew or how I felt, I always went after the 'what if's" or the "yeah, but's".  Now, I'm just here for the ride.  I still enjoy the 'mastering' of things, the challenging-but I'm mostly of the mindset now that we never really 'master" anything because we are NOT MEANT TO.  Take stamping for instance.  If I thought i was the master stamper...master colorist...master paper-putter-together...would I have anything left to learn?  NO.  And that, in time-in fact, in a very SHORT time, would make me BORING.  outdated.  washed up.  In this same sense, I think that some people out there live their lives trying to 'master' people...whether it's for the sake of 'figuring them out', or 'analyzing their every move', or simply to feel 'smarter' than them... I'm not really sure why this is necessary.  Again-let's just enjoy the ride.   While I will never want to stop learning, or more importantly, IMPROVING,  I think once we condition ourselves that we are not "masters' at anything, that's when real knowledge and wisdom find us.   Truth finds us.  Truth is so good.

I think FULFILLMENT is another huge factor in why we feel the need to "fight" for something.  In fact, I know people who have gone their whole LIFE fighting for something, because at one point or another, they are sadly...desperately unfulfilled.  Granted, there are some severe injustices in this world...things worth fighting FOR.   But I know people who "fight" just because, for some reason, they aren't feeling fulfilled...whether it's physically...emotionally...financially...or even moreso, a feeling of entitlement.  Who are WE to say who's entitled to what and who's not again?  Oh, right.  We are not.  I know I'm not.

Speaking of fulfillment, this really struck a chord with me:

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost. ~H. Jackson Browne  

While I believe in this 100%, ultimately, as I've been saying in this post-I also believe that all roads lead to the same place in the end....so why not start NOW? Why not spread MORE. love. NOW.  It's a challenging thought for an earthly being, but as I said-Christian or not, IF we believe in a heaven, an afterlife...how can we deny that perfect co-existence won't happen?  Wouldn't it be SO, SO nice to start know and live in that comfort?  Imagine the things that we could ALL put behind us.

Maybe by now,  I sound like I'm rambling... I'm just hoping that my post helps one person today...and if not, that's ok too-I just think the world would look a lot better if we all un-curled the fists we put up at times....you never know...we might just find this:
LIVE.
LOVE.
LAUGH.
SMILE.

Is there ANYTHING more important?...
love you guys...

Photobucket

6 comments:

Sammi said...

Great post Jess!!! :D

Heather Schlatter said...

Wow only 1 comment that truly surprises me on such a good post. Maybe it got pushed to the bottom of a multiple day post and not as much attention was given to this post as it really should have.

Jess we have spent many many hours lately contemplating and discovering the meaning to much of this subject, and this post is a very very very meaningful and truly WONDERFUL post. I hope many people read it and are just staying silent because everything your wrote of if any person who has even the slightest beliefe in our God or even thier own, would think about this and choose to let go of the feelings and the hurt they are holding onto and forgive those who are or should be the most important to us, because our time with them is truly so very little here on earth and not worth the time spent hating or holding grudges that we may be doing right at this moment.

I try harder now than ever to let go of the pain, and hurt and turn it over to my Heavinly Father because only he can heal me and make it possible for me to forgive and LOVE unconditionally even those who have wronged me in so many ways. That is my job as a child of God, and a child of our world!!!

You did an Amazing job of writing and composing these thoughts!!! I say MOVE it on up to your top post!!! It is just that perfect!!!

I truly Love you my Friend and you know better than anyone that I MEAN those words in a very deep and personal way, you are one of my 4 BEST Friends and I hope to keep you one for many many many years to come. I hope one day we can be like your Mom and her friend and flying in to stamp together for a weekend or a week every few months!!!

LOVE YOU!!!

Heather

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh, Jess, I got so emotional after reading this post! You did such a wonderful job composing it, compiling it! Funny, my co-worker and I were just talking about afterlife yesterday, the purpose of life, how it's a cycle... I believe we all came from the same place. We choose our path while living in this world but in the end, we will all be be together again, in one place. So true, we need to learn to let go. Not sure if you even read "Don't swear the small stuff". It's a little book but a good one.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, this awesome post, Jess! You are such a amazing woman, seriously..

Jammie said...

Ok, my computer is trying my patience, I typed this huge responce to you, and then blogger said they could not post because of some error, so here it goes again:

"... two roads diverge in the forrest... I took the road less traveled." After this post, you really should go back and read Mr. Frost's most famous work again. I but it will affect you differently now.

I don't know you at all, but after reading this I feel like I carry a little piece of your soul with me. I too think this way often and wonder if there is anyone else out there who does. I have had some horrible things happen to me in my life and I think that most people would hold a grudge or even hate. It takes so much energy to HATE... and what does it accomplish? Not a lot. If you just let it go, there's so much more room, energy, and time to see the beauty around you.

As I was making a wedding cake yesterday in my kitchen, I had the royal wedding on the tv< and I noticed something.... a HUGE crowd of people, walking to the palace, orderly, civily, and without incident. That would NEVER happen here in the US. I know there there were US Citizens there along with the Brits, but really, think about it... if that took place in the US they would not have just walked there without incident, watched the couple kiss, cheered, and went on their merry way.... nope! Not even close! It would go something like; "that guy stepped on my foot, so I punched him, so his friend stabbed me, so my friend shot him, and then the police pepper strayed the whole crowd..." I know that's a slippery slope thre, but you get the Idea, and know how true it is. Can't we look at that and see how sad our society is???

I'm not getting down on the Americans, just an observation.

Anyways... I'm so very glad that you hit post on this, it's amazing, and helps me tremendously. I feel refreshed today knowing that there are others out there, others who think like me, others who wish for a better place, no hate, no war, no evil... just let it go and be happy!!!

Next time you are presented with a situation, look at the forrest, look at the trees, think about the paths, and please... take the road less traveled, it's georgious!!!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Tasha said...

Depp stuff.
You know me Jess always on to say what i think and i thnk its lovely to see this side of you, your thoughts and opinions.
If we lived in a perfect world Jess i would agree with you, but sometimes people do such painful and wicked things to others how can it just be forgotten?
Unfortunately in this world there is evil and pain and incredibly horrible situations.
Im not proud of it, but if someone hurts me deeply i do cut them out. i dont want people like that in my life to tarnish it. In heaven it wont mater because its an earthly matter but whilst on earth and human and not perfect, these things do seem to matter.
In heaven we will all be perfect and so we know that others would not hurt us, therefore it is safe to love, forgive, forget etc. There isn't that certainty here.

You wrote this post so beautifully Jess, its very thoughtful and heartfelt

love tasha xx

Jessica Diedrich said...

You guys are all wonderful, THANK YOU so much. I have written you guys back personally to thank you as well-hopefully you've gotten it :) And Tash-totally know what you mean. It is very hard to think that this could ever happen when people do things w/ closed hearts or cold hearts to hurt us so badly...that's kind of why I said "in a perfect world'...but yes, the fact that we don't have that certainty here is why it will probably never happen although goes back to is it really worth it or not, you know? Forgiveness is tough. Un-hardening our hearts is tougher. But in the end, I'd rather hurt than become cold or distant to the ones who I know I'll be returned to in the end. It is such a hard, hard concept to grasp, and definitely makes ya think! Which, is why I posted this 'deep' LOL blog post ;) I love ya, sweetness!