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Warning:  If you believe in God then you might find these thoughts contrary to your beliefs.

Another Warning: If you don’t believe in God then you might find these thoughts contrary to your beliefs. 

There are some events that make us question humanity in general, like Josef Fritzl, who held his own daughter captive for 20 plus years, fathered seven children by her, killed one and then raised three of them as his grandchildren.   We shake our collective heads and wonder why people have taken to shooting at high schools and colleges across our nation.  The latest shooting early Wednesday morning, April 30, 2008, at Florida Atlantic University has the school on lockdown.  These are horrible events, but for most of us, they are distant.

However, there are some events, much smaller in scope, that never make the news, but they are events that shake us to our very core.  They shake us to the point that we end up questioning and challenging beliefs that we have held on to for years.

For me, my mother’s Alzheimer’s disease was that event. Up to that point I considered myself to be a strong, creative, independent woman.  I knew what I believed and although I had faced difficulties in my life, I was crystal clear about issues of faith.  I was so clear that I found it hard to understand why others weren’t as clear as I.  Maybe I was even a little harsh (in my thoughts) towards those who didn’t have their beliefs all together in a neat little package.

But an interesting thing happened.  As I watched my mother decline through the various stages of the disease; I realized that I had absolutely no control. I didn’t have any before that either, but her decline just made it more evident.  More than that, I realized that whoever was in control (it was God for me) could just do whatever He wanted, whenever He wanted and how ever He wanted.  THAT was not a good feeling for me.  It was a very long journey and in this case, I think the journey was as important as the destination.  So, here is what I learned by questioning.

God (or whoever you have your faith in) must be big enough and wise enough to handle your questions.

In the end, for me, pain must have a greater purpose (thus my writing of this blog).

What you believe about pain, suffering and death really impacts how you live.

The only faith that can’t be shaken is faith that has already been shaken

As Alzheimer’s patients decline, perhaps, the inner/spiritual world is all they really have.

So, what do you think?  Do your spirituality, faith and beliefs play any role in your perspective?  Share your thoughts and your journey. Leave a comment here or send me a private note.