 |
| Life-Michael Barata |
There is a certain uncertainty about the world to
which we are clueless of. It is the question that haunts every man and baffles
every scientist and philosopher. Man walks about his day in the same boring
routine over and over again until he falls over and dies. Forgive me for being
insensitive but if there is no meaning in the world but to be a pattern, a
code, a number, than is there truly a meaning? What is the meaning of that
meaning if there is no meaning? Most people are satisfied with this congruent
infinite loop. If you are one of these people than stop reading, for you won’t
open your mind to the possibilities I am about to show you.
But—if you
are hungry; if you are curious for the answer, the deeper meaning behind the
curtain we know as life, than please, continue. I will not try to comfort you
with meaningless cushiony, soft, mushy gooshy words. (Bleh.) Instead I will
present you with the facts, and hopefully in the end you will find the true
meaning of life.
A life is defined as a specified
period of animate existence. But what happens when we stop trying to just
living and begin to write our stories? They don’t have to be stories that get
us famous or take us on amazing, life threatening adventures (like in movies or
books). But when we stop being stagnant and begin to redefine the lines of life
by which we live, that is when we begin to write our stories.
As children we’re taught to color
in the lines, write inside the lined boxes, think inside the box, live in
walled houses, and behave in a certain matter. We act by what is accepted, not
by what is possible. Now stop. I know what you’re thinking. I am not telling
you to go and break the law or sass your grandmother (I don’t need any more
phone calls about disrespectful teenagers. I got an earful from the last one
and a few choice words I care not to repeat.) There is a fine line however
between what is permitted and what is accepted. Permitted behavior are lines
such as laws while accepted behavior refers to what we show people in
comparison to who we really are. I won’t talk much on permitted lines, those
are lines we should try to follow. (They are there for our safety and
protection.) However accepted lines are a different matter.
Admit it, we all behave in a way
that is acceptable to other people. We like the same things as other people,
just so that we can feel accepted and loved. But in the end you just wind up
feeling lonely and empty, don’t we? Then there are the brave few, oh those
gloriously wonderful people, who write their stories in books without lines.
The people who are themselves, who don’t live on the structured lines of the
accepted, but use their stories to redefine the possible.
Oh glorious people how I love you!
Society classifies you as “Outcasts” and “Strange” because you’re different,
but do not be discouraged! You can never truly be outcast once you erase the
lines between possible and impossible. There are so many people out there that
choose to live inside the lines of accepted behavior because they are afraid to
let their pens flow.
Have you ever seen a blank piece of
paper? No lines, no marks, just a white blank sheet. It’s one of the most
beautiful things in existence. Just like a newborn baby it is both
breathtakingly glorious and beautifully terrifying. It is a new beginning, and
for a sliver of a moment it is perfect, without flaw or mistake. It’s the most
terrifying feeling for a writer, a blank piece of paper. You have all these
brilliant ideas dancing through your mind, over flowing like a faucet. But what
is the point if you never write them down?
What is the purpose of life if all
you ever do is think, think, think, but never do? What is thee point if that is
all you ever do is bash thoughts around in your head like a tennis ball but
never do anything? Please forgive my carelessness (I am only trying to be
straight forward with you), but do not mistake it for judgment towards you.
You can live a lifetime and never
experience life. For the longest time I did. I tried so hard to earn the acceptance
of others. Then I woke up and realized the truth. No I wasn’t perfect though
many people accused me because I try to do the right thing. (By the way it is
terribly annoying when people tell you you’re an angel. It’s like, “Thanks for
the compliment, but I really just want to punch you in the face right now.”
Why? Because no one can be perfect because we are all face trial and error and
fall short of perfection, to suggest otherwise is insulting. We all have our
hardships and our failures, and the fact that we are flawed is humbling. But I
digress.)
Writing those first words of a
book, a letter, or your own life story can be terrifying. It’s your defining
moment; it is how you begin your tale. But even more terrifying is the idea of
never beginning.
“What is the purpose?” you ask.
“Isn’t that what we began with?” Well you may disagree with me, but all life
begin with an idea. A man and a woman had the idea of having a child and
creating life. That idea developed into creation when it was enacted and nine
months later brought life into the world. This simple yet eloquent process of
birth defines our entire being in a nutshell. (Even for those of you who’s
parents claim you were an ‘accident’, your life was created with purpose.
Forgive me for being blunt, but I know where children come from, and I highly
doubt your father slipped and fell on your mother and then said, “Oops! Sorry!
My mistake.” Doesn’t work like that.)
We were created to live. In the
beginning, God had an idea to create a world where his creations could live.
That’s all He ever wanted, for us to live. Not just live a life but experience
one. He created glorious universes for us to enjoy, explore and experience. He
breathed us into life so that we could be with him. That first bond was broken
(the Fall of Man) by the first sin, and separated us forever from perfection.
Thank you by the way Adam and Eve, I don’t care what the world thinks. Yes they
broke the rules, they disobeyed God, but who doesn’t? I know I haven’t followed
the Bible word for word. I admit I am not perfect, I am far from it! (And the
Bible is another Permitted Line, by the way.) But by doing this they showed us
that no one can be perfect. It is impossible.
But guess what, while our mistakes,
doubts, fears, vices, and sins can forever corrupt and destroy bonds between us
and other people, they can never be broken between us and God. Can you believe
it? Cause I never did! But it is true, 100%!! I grew up in a Christian home,
but I never understood the depth of God’s love. (Not my parents’ or my pastors’
fault, it is a hard thing for a child to comprehend.) The idea that someone
could love me not matter what I did. I strived so hard to be perfect, to do
what I was told, to not be like everyone else. I dedicated and rededicated my
life to God countless times but never felt like it was enough because I wasn’t
perfect. Then I fell, just like every man. I fell hard. VERY hard. And in my
fall I let go of everything that mattered and it nearly destroyed me. The worst
part was, no one seemed to notice. All that work, all that effort to be perfect
and no one even realized when I had fallen. But they all saw me when I got back
up.
In that moment when I finally
stood, I wasn’t alone. God gave me the same wake up call I am giving you now—Wake
Up. You can keep living a life of disappointment or you can experience it the
way that God designed it to be. God wants us to experience life to the fullest.
By living life, we are like candles
lying in a dark room. Beautifully displayed, but unlit. My relationship with
God, my Heavenly father and best friend, ignited my fire. An unlit candle can
never know it’s true purpose because it is left in the dark. But a candle that
has been lit shines a light that is impossible to ignore, and it can’t help but
ignite the candles around it so that they too can experience fire inside.
God sent his son to die on the
cross to mend the line that was broken by Adam and Eve centuries before. He was
perfect, loved all of those around him (enemies and friends), died an innocent
criminal, and conquered death for eternity so that we could be with him. We
don’t have to be perfect. Isn’t that the best news ever? You don’t have to be
perfect! Now that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want it and get away
with it. It means that you can fall a million times and God will always be
there to help you up again, if you will just let Him. Instead of stumbling
around in the dark, light your candle with the fire of God. Let me tell you it
burns beautifully, my fingers are on fire as I type and my heart is racing
right now as I try to explain this incredible experience. There is no feeling
like it in the universe.
So go ahead. Ridicule me. Tell me
I’m wrong. Because I now know without a shadow of doubt that God is real and
that Creation is real. I respect if you do not agree with me, but know that I was honest and straightforward with you throughout it all.
Your life ends when your story
begins. The moment you stop trying to live life is when you will truly
experience it. Don’t try to live the perfect life projected by famous stars,
magazine covers, or those portrayed by characters in movies and books. Instead live
you’re your life as it was designed by our Divine Creator. Why am I so
passionate about this? Because if you live your life how God designed it (by
the way the How-To Guide can be found in a book known as “The Bible”) than I
promise you, you will never feel inadequate, useless, bored, afraid, worthless,
outcast, alone, or unloved. You will be ignited with a passion that will burn
as long as you feed it with God’s love and truth. So go ahead, open your books, pull out your pens, and begin writing your story without lines or borders.
Stop living life, and
start experiencing it.
