Captives

Egocentric: It is human nature to look after number one, it is not a strange thing but it is a basic survival instinct. The world is full of competition and it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say it is survival of the fittest. You have to be strong, the world preys on the weak and so you have to be strong, you have to look out for number one. And in being so self-absorbed by the thought of number ONE, we sometimes neglect our solemn obligation to “be a brothers keeper”. 

A True Story

The first thought that came to mind when I first saw her was that she was a quiet person, she was not one to announce her presence in the room but to notice her you needed to discover her, the way she carried herself almost as if she was bowing her head to try and avoid the gaze of onlookers, hiding her face as if they would discover something by the mere sight of her face. Her calm demeanor spoke to me, it was as if she was an ocean of Mistry I needed to explore. A time came when I heard her speak and every time, she would speak she would instinctively smile before a response, but wouldn’t say much or too little, always the right number of words perfectly scripted as if she had been rehearsing for the question or interaction. A time came when I bumped into her and I had no choice but to greet her and spark up a conversation, she looked at me and as it was her custom, she gave a gentle smile before responding, and as I looked into her eyes, lo and behold I saw what she was hiding, it was as if the gentle smile was an assurance for me not to be frightened by what I might probably see in her eyes, scars of a battle that only she could tell. These weren’t physical scars but I could perceive them, So deep and so strong was the evidence of a battle within her that after the interaction I had to take a moment to gather my thoughts because I was overpowered by a deep sense of sadness and despondency and yet to the observer our interaction was but a friendly greeting.  

A few days later, I saw her with a bottle of beer and a cigarette, and yes it hit me, if there is a battle it only makes sense that she would have to have a way to drown her sorrows. But why beer of all things “I asked” She is such a pleasant person…. I felt powerless because I wanted to help, but I had no idea how, and looking at the disparity between us, maybe her problems were bigger than me.

To Be Continued...

There are a lot of reasons why people do the things that they do, socially deviant behavior, and self-destructive behavior sometimes may be a simple cry for help and if our first response is to Judge and Condemn the person, well then we don’t really care. We can and should condemn the actions but not the person, for who can place the value of a soul?

Prisoners: “We are captives of our own identities living in prisons of our own creations”

Being in control may be to a great extent synonymous with having power and who doesn’t like having power? But sometimes when logic is ignored we may be placed in a vicious cycle where we think we are in control, but it is an illusion. By the time we realize that we actually have lost control it's too late to be able to get back the control ourselves. I am talking about an addiction, it starts out slow, it takes hold of the person and slowly creeps into every aspect of the individual’s life. Yes, there are a lot of reasons why individuals become addicts but fundamental to it is the fact that there is a reason, a predisposition maybe, genetic, environmental, childhood trauma, and the list goes on and for the problem to be addressed the initial cause must be identified. Describing the exact cause doesn’t justify the addiction or deviant behavior, it merely gives us an understanding of how to start solving the problem in a manner that will be individually suited to the person being helped, even in medicine we talk about personalized medicine as the best form of care for it is tailored to each individual patient. In the long run, even the addict realizes that they are but a prisoner of their own bodies and situation, and it is only logical that one would want to remove themselves from a filthy prison riddled with debt, self-abuse, and public ridicule.

The Great Hope

Firstly, there is hope. In the medical field there are specialists who are available to help anyone struggling with any form of addiction or psychological trauma. Even if they may not be easily accessible, the trouble of looking for them and looking for support groups is better than the alternative which is slavery to a vice. A vice that destroys the very thing that makes living worth it, iv seen patients of debilitating chronic diseases who are genuinely happy and yet on another side you have an addict of a vice who is relatively healthy but the internal struggle leaves them in a deep darkness of hopelessness and utter ruin and so certain addictions and vices destroy more than the body, and so even if the person may not seek help, be a brothers keeper, if you cannot take them to a place of help at least show them where it is.

It is easy to misuse something if you don’t know its use, many people have found themselves in bad situations and vicious cycles of life simply because they have not really identified a purpose for their lives, and winging it just doesn’t cut it, we were all created for a purpose. And the moment that purpose is identified we will not live and act anyhow as we know that we have to take care of ourselves to the best of our ability and live out our purpose. That internal struggle is replaced by peace, peace that this world cannot possibly give….

John 14: 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

God loves us, He created us for a purpose, and we need to know Him and find out what purpose He created us for. Who better to ask how a phone should be used than the manufacturer? 

“Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. “The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.” Steps to Christ P.G 100