To Be a Human Being … is Tough

The inhabitants of the Havona worlds do not require the potential of relative value levels as a choice stimulus; such perfect beings are able to identify and choose the good in the absence of all contrastive and thought-compelling moral situations. But all such perfect beings are, in moral nature and spiritual status, what they are by virtue of the fact of existence. They have experientially earned advancement only within their inherent status. Mortal man earns even his status as an ascension candidate by his own faith and hope. Everything divine which the human mind grasps and the human soul acquires is an experiential attainment; it is a reality of personal experience and is therefore a unique possession in contrast to the inherent goodness and righteousness of the inerrant personalities of Havona.

The creatures of Havona are naturally brave, but they are not courageous in the human sense. They are innately kind and considerate, but hardly altruistic in the human way. They are expectant of a pleasant future, but not hopeful in the exquisite manner of the trusting mortal of the uncertain evolutionary spheres. They have faith in the stability of the universe, but they are utter strangers to that saving faith whereby mortal man climbs from the status of an animal up to the portals of Paradise. They love the truth, but they know nothing of its soul-saving qualities. They are idealists, but they were born that way; they are wholly ignorant of the ecstasy of becoming such by exhilarating choice. They are loyal, but they have never experienced the thrill of wholehearted and intelligent devotion to duty in the face of temptation to default. They are unselfish, but they never gained such levels of experience by the magnificent conquest of a belligerent self. They enjoy pleasure, but they do not comprehend the sweetness of the pleasure escape from the pain potential.

                                                            – The Urantia Book (p. 52)

 

 

 

 

I worked for a few years as a Hospice CNA

caring for people at the end of their life.

Doing that, I soon learned – that we’re all basically the SAME

… as long as we’re on this side of the grass.

 

We all have the same needs –

for love and friendship

for respect and kindness.

We all need food … and to be clean

(whether OR NOT we can see to our needs ourselves, without help)

 

What is the difference (anyway)

between a dying person … and a mortal person?

 

[There’s NOT a Great Difference … is there?   Mmm?]

 

Being a Human Being … it’s a TOUGH GIG !

 

For one thing – our REACH (always) exceeds our GRASP.

 

Always are we able to believe … more than we can know …

(QUITE A BIT more)

 

Always are we able to imagine … more than we are able to do.

 

And – what about EMOTIONS?

 

I used to think that that certain of us really

have our hands full, just

dealing with the feelings that come up

for them.  (in them)

 

Now, what I think is –  that

we’re ALL like that.

 

Regarding our mortality

here’s what it’s like to be a human being:

 

It’s as though

we live on the east side of the street …

eating our (one) ice cream cone …

and

on the west side of the street (which we are unable to cross)

we see the Ice Cream Factory!

 

So …

what should we do? –

Should we throw our only ice cream cone down in the dirt

and throw a tantrum? … (because we can’t have the factory)?

 

That would be pretty bratty, wouldn’t it?

 

No.

Better to be grateful for what we have.

Better to enjoy the ice cream cone we are eating … and make the Most of it.

 

And if God puts someone good into our life

(even for only a short time)

we should make the most of that gift too.  Mmm?

(and be grateful)

 

When (and how) a loved one dies … that is ABOVE OUR PAY GRADE.

 

When Jack (my little brother) died

(from accidental carbon monoxide inhalation)

at the age of 24 …

I found I was NOT willing to conclude that Jack’s (unexpectedly short) life

was some kind of mistake … or that it had no meaning … no value.

 

No WAY!

 

Now … if I failed to love him well … or appreciate him well … that was MY mistake.

 

As it WAS, actually …

I got a certain amount of solace

from the fact – that I knew I HAD loved him well (and I let him know it)

and I had enjoyed him well (and he knew that too)

I DID give him all I could … the Best I had.

 

That was of some comfort to me.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[As a ‘footnote’ on the matter of being ‘bratty’, I’d like to yet offer a comment:

 

I’m thinking of the film “Forrest Gump” … the character – “Lt. Dan”.

 

I think Lieutenant Dan (whose life Forrest saves in Viet Nam) is

for us a very important character.

 

Dan had his life figured out.  He was to die in the Viet Nam war

(just as his father, his grandfather, and so on

had died fighting in other wars) … so

when Forrest saved him … he was angry!

He felt he had been robbed of his legacy … his Destiny.

 

When he heals up from his wounds … he is wheelchair-ridden

and he is Pissed!

 

He then wastes several years

   (for he is Very Resistant)

being a Complete Brat.

Not only is his life of no use to anyone else

it’s of no use even to him.

 

(a Perfect Brat)

 

except …

 

he eventually gets himself (his attitude) straightened out!

He falls in love … he gets married …

He gets A LIFE !

 

Wonderful ! ]

 

Rumi says –

 

You should try to hear the name the Holy One  has for things.

There is something in the phrase:  “The Holy One taught him names.”

We name everything according to the number of legs it has;

The holy one names it according to what is inside.

Moses waved his stick; he thought it was a “rod.”

But inside its name was “dragonish snake.”

We thought the name of Umar meant: “agitator against priests”;

But in eternity his name is “the one who believes.”

No one knows our name until our last breath goes out.