One of my favorite all time movies is “Forrest Gump”.
The movie is
full of practical lessons that can be used as food for thought. One truth that stood
out to me was simple but profound:
The law of momentum deeply affects all of our lives.
Isn't it funny how momentum seems to escalate in our lives (one way or the other)as a result of the small, everyday decisions that we make? The outcome of who we
are at the end of our lives will likely be the result of pattens set in
place by years of ordinary, seemingly insignificant choices. This can
serve as a reminder that the mundane in life does have meaning for us,
though we may be required to exercise a degree of faith in order to
realize that meaning.
I have put a lot of thought into another concept that is seen at both
the very beginning and very end of Forrest Gump.
During both segments, a white feather is shown
floating on the wind, leaving us to wonder if it has arrived at it’s
destination merely as a result of chance, or if there is a source of
order that has guided the feather along, giving the feather’s
destination meaning and purpose. Can our lives here on earth be compared
to this feather ? Is life random ? If not, do the forces that act on
our lives limit our ability to navigate our own course?
I have been taught that our lives have great purpose. As a member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I believe that we each
have an essence, or spirit, that contains much of the knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, experience, and most importantly, love that we
have accumulated over the course of our existence. This essence is
eternal in nature, and cannot be destroyed or diminished by our physical
death. I believe that God is the Father of our spirits, and that He is a
personage of infinite love, compassion, and holiness. I believe that we
lived in His presence and were taught by Him before we came here to
earth. I believe that our lives have a purpose here on earth, and that
our actions here will have a great influence on where we will find
ourselves in the next life. The knowledge of where we came from, why we
are here, and where we are going has added perspective to the everyday
choices that I make about how I spend my time, how I try to treat
others, and how I set priorities.
I would like to use this generalized plan as a backdrop to reflect on
some questions I have developed over the course of time in trying to
find and understand my place in the grand scheme of things. I should
state that the questions I ask and the conclusions I have come up with
reflect my own thoughts and feelings, and should not be confused with
the basic doctrines of my church. For information on this, I recommend
going to www.mormon.org. This is a wonderful website geared at answering
basic questions about the “Mormon” faith.
As I have come to terms with the fact that there is a God that cares
about our lives, I have wondered about what this means for how we should
view ourselves in relation to the world around us.
Specifically, I have
wondered about how much we should be proactively engaged in the
direction that our lives take.
On one hand, I see us as the feather in the wind at the close of Forrest
Gump.
We are, with little effort on our own, guided by the powers of
the universe to the people and situations we need for growth and
service. God is an all knowing, all powerful being that is in control of
the universe. His will is destined to be carried out regardless of the
intentions of mankind…hence we have holy scriptures filled with His
prophecies about the unfolding of our history here on earth. God not
only has a generalized plan for all of mankind, but a specific plan for
each of our individual lives. Our purpose in life is to “uncover ” that
plan and carry it out. We have each been given special talents to help
us carry out our specific mission on earth, which largely involve our ability to reach out to and help others to successfully complete their
own missions. We have been placed in the circumstances and with the
people that the Lord desires us to work with.
With these thoughts in mind, I have wondered about the wisdom of
taking a proactive, goal oriented approach to life. Such a course would
run counter to the natural flow of the universe. God’s plan is unfolding
exactly as it should be, and if we accept life as it is given to us, we
will always be in the right place at the right time…without the hindrance of an agenda. Jesus seemed to be alluding to this sort of existence when He taught that we should “take no thought for the
morrow." This sort of life reflects trust in God, meaningful prayer with a
desire to seek God’s will and not our own, acceptance of His will,
obedience to His commandments, and a soft touch that allows us to be
sensitive to His Spirit, which often prompts us to help certain people
at certain times and gives us specific, daily direction. This Spirit
operates in the capacity of a ” still small voice ” that is more often
felt than heard. Strong emotions and distracted lifestyles can drown
this voice out, so there is a certain need for reverence and sobriety in
everyday life…no small task!
Certainly, success in this type of life would involve a peaceful,
serene existence that is similar in it’s nature to certain aspects of
eastern philosophy. Life is in a constant state of disintegration, so
any attachments to it will ultimately result in a feeling of
disappointment and frustration. Thus, we move through life with a
certian degree of detachment to the world around us…not too high, not
too low.
This lifestyle is one that I have tried in large measure to
live up to for the past five years, using my agency to obtain God’s will
and carry it out, but using very little creativity or developing very
little opinionated thought.
I have recently wondered about a different approach that seems to be
the polar opposite of the somewhat peaceful, reactive lifestyle I have
described.
The second choice of lifestyle is one that by nature seems to be much
more engaging than the first. It assumes that while God has chosen some
of the highlights in our life needed for growth opportunities, He has
left much of the details up to us, like an art teacher who lays out
scissors, construction paper, and crayons and tells the class to go to
work on a Christmas card for mom and dad. This mindset centers in a
proactive, goal oriented approach to life that puts one in the position
of being a “mover and a shaker.” The defining scripture for this finds
the Savior counseling us to be ” anxiously engaged in a good cause” and
that we should accomplish “much good of our own free will and choice”.
He tells us that a person that must be commanded in all things is ”
slothful, and not a wise servant."
The fundamental nature of this mindset is one of not waiting for
commandments, but taking action routinely as we develop and carry out a
goal oriented plan for our lives that involves weekly or daily
accountability and somewhat aggressive action.
The upside to this
paradigm is a feeling of energy and control over our lives. We are
connected to the world around us, and are effective in our relationships
with others. We feel deeply that we are making the fullest use of our
freedom to choose, that we are expressing our innermost selves, and that
we are ” happening to life ” and not vice versa. We have a vested
interest in all of our duties, and a deep feeling of satisfaction from
using the creative forces within us. We are “partners with God, sharing
the decision-making duties in our lives. Instead of a feather floating
in the wind, we are captains of a ship, charting and steering our own
course, and receiving occasional direction from a very good weather forecaster.
The problem that I have developed in testing the waters of these two
mindsets is the seeming impossibility of doing both effectively at the
same time. I have found that the more goal oriented I become, the more I
am likely to be distracted by my own thoughts and emotions. This
creates a sort of spiritual ” static ” that makes subtle promptings from
the Lord more difficult to feel and distinguish. If a specific plan is
created, there is a likelihood of missing the forest for the trees,
focusing more on predetermined results than on the minute to minute
needs that the Lord may need my help on. Also, as emotions become deeply
involved in the course of my life, I find myself less likely to be
obedient to the Lord if a drastic course alteration is needed….I am more
tempted to do my own will.
On the other side of the spectrum, if I take a feather in the wind
approach and trust that the natural course of unfolding events is God’s
will, I am much more in tune with the daily whisperings of God’s spirit,
but much less energized and invested in the work of my life.
As a
personality that has been drawn to the arts, the lack of creativity in
this lifestyle is sometimes a painful gift to offer at the alter.
Inner
peace has it’s price.
I guess the real question I have struggled with in pondering the pros
and cons of these two lifestyles is the question of self expression.
The
Savior said ” I do nothing of myself, but as my father hath taught me.”
He personifies the virtue of obedience. If we are to emulate Jesus,
who did only the will of Heavenly Father, where does our own thought
process and creativity come into play as we live out our lives ? ”
Whosoever would save his life will lose it, but whosoever will lose his
life for my sake shall save it.”.
Are these virtues to be offered on the alter as willing sacrifices to
our Heavenly Father as a means of turning our lives and wills over to
Him ?
Or are we encouraged to use our creative powers to engage our minds
and emotions and chart our own course through life, determining the
specifics ourselves ?
Is spiritual victory found in surrendering or conquering ?
It is likely the answer will be different for each person, as we came
to earth with our own disposition, personality, and set of lessons to
learn.
Thinking through this paradox has taught me that our lives cannot be
compared to one another using our own judgement. God’s design for us on
earth seems to be more centered in growth opportunities than in final
justice. We are all works in progress, and one way or another, just like
the feather floating in the breeze, God’s wind will carry us to the
place that is right for who we have chosen to become.
As the old saying goes….
” Water fills it’s measure….. so shall I.”
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