I do not know the author of the text below, but I am grateful that it was written and that I can share it with you.
“I asked God to take away my pride,
and He said, ‘No.’
He told me that pride is not taken away;
it is something one must let go of.
I asked God to heal my daughter,
confined to bed by her condition,
and He said, ‘No.’
He told me that her soul is whole,
and her body is only temporary.
I asked God to give me patience,
and He said, ‘No.’
He told me that patience is the result of trials
and is not given, but earned.
I asked God to grant me happiness,
and He said, ‘No.’
He said He gives blessings,
but whether I am happy is up to me.
I asked God to spare me from pain,
and He said, ‘No.’
He told me that suffering separates a person
from worldly concerns and brings them closer to Him.
I asked God to give me spiritual growth,
and He said, ‘No.’
He told me that the spirit must grow on its own,
and that He only prunes it,
so that it may bear fruit.
I asked God to give me everything
so that I could enjoy life,
and He said, ‘No.’
He told me that He gives me life,
so that I may enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me love others
the way He loves me.
And God said: ‘Now you finally understand
what you should be asking for…’
I asked God to give me strength,
and He sent me challenges
to make me strong.
I asked God to give me wisdom,
and He sent me problems
to think about day and night.
I asked God to give me courage,
and He sent me dangers.
I asked God to give me love,
and He sent me people in need of my help.
I asked God to give me prosperity,
and He sent me opportunity.
I did not receive anything I asked for as a gift.
But I received everything I needed.
God heard my prayers.”
One sentence in this poem is especially precious to me:
“I asked God to help me love others the way He loves me.”
We are used to associating divine love with unconditional love, but if we look at everything God refused to give to the one who was praying, a clear conclusion follows: if we want to love others the way the Higher Power loves, we must also learn to say “No.”
This is a post from the “games of synchronicity.”
If it has reached you now, perhaps it is because you are learning to say “No” to those you love.
Or because you are learning to accept “No” as an answer from life —
and to turn limitations into steps of spiritual growth.
Kameliya Hadzhiyska
