Friends and More

And quote: Everyone is a vehicle of a single god. Everyone is a star ~Gnostic

I just came from a Florida vacation where I visited some of my family and friends. I enjoyed the good time that I shared with them. In fact one of them kept me awake all night talking about “God.” He claimed that I should convert myself to his religion as there it is no other way to end suffering.

He has been going to church ever since he was a child, and never, ever has missed a day of service which is held every week on Saturday, and he is not in any position to miss one service either this week.  He got motional thinking that a great person like me would not see “the light if I do not accept Jesus as my savior,” something I never fully spoke off or denied.

I tried to say some things- at least something of what I think or might be correct or wrong about “religious beliefs, and Master Jesus.” However,  he was not interested in listening to what I had to say. Not at all.  So I decided to just listen to him expressing passionately what he believes.

Then after a long while tears were running down my cheeks.

He got worried and asked me if I was alright? I said, “Yes. I- I just think that you are such of great man… You have such of good heart…” He looked at me long…. And that was it! He stopped talking.

And then I fell asleep not long after, right on the couch we were sitting.

Next day I woke up about 8 o’clock to a loud noise in the kitchen. He was making breakfast for us two, but most important for me.

“I cooked for you just what you like. You’ll love it!” He said while we were sitting at the table. Breakfast consisted of white rice, black beans with squash inside; toasted bread, jam, and herbal tea. I have always love rice and beans but I’ve never really had it for breakfast, which come to think, it is not a bad idea for me to try. Regardless, I felt like asking for some oatmeal but decided not to say anything. Instead, I am going to let the moment be. That is all.

“This is a calentada” (meaning warmed leftovers from food cooked the day before), he said, while pouring food on my plate and continued. “Here is where the proteins are. The Kernel guys can take all their cereals and eat them themselves, not me buddy. And talking about getting diabetes with all that stuff they put in it! No way!”

I smiled.

“Hum, okay… this smells good and it does look good too.” I said.

We finished everything on the table, and then after a while we were getting ready to go to the park.

Once we got to the park, my friend was not saying much of anything, instead he held my hand, and like guiding a child to discover nature for the first time, we walked most of the time in silence just listening to the birds singing, and watching the deers runs by.

Then he stopped to pick a tiny flower and gave it to me. He told me to look at it and tell him what I though of it.

Then I said, “Well, it sure has a beautiful pink color. I love pink, pink is a feminine color you know?  It is a beautiful tiny flower, actually I can write an entire book about this tiny flower alone but you do not want me to start on that right?”

“No. All I want you to know is that this tiny flower is just as pretty as you, that’s all.” And then we laughed our hearts out until a pair of deer’s caught our attention.

It is a good thing to share times with our friends and just forget about all of our daily, monotonous life style even if it is just listening to them over a cup of tea, or taking a walk together without any judgment, prejudice, fanaticism, or useless opinions of what they are talking about. We have to accept our friends just as they are. It is a great feeling to know that we can relate and share the love from others without feeling intimidated with their different beliefs, creed, or race.

I come across all sort of people; and I hear unbelievable stories about their own God doing miracles like “magic” right in front of them all the time. For example, in my neighborhood I met someone that with time became very close to me when I hired her professional service often. She hardly spoke any English, but what impressed me more about her, was that not speaking English fluently did not seems being a problem. What seems being a little bit of a problem was taking the train every day to work.

She is one of the sweetest person I’ve ever met. When she sees me, she immediately runs towards me to give me a kiss and a hug with a big smile on her face. I never hear her complaining about anything, and she always seems open to offer her help on whatever she can.

One of her greatest joy is to share some of her cooking with me, and then run bringing it to me while it is hot! When she does this I drop all that I am doing so I can give her my undivided attention for a while.

She often tells me that the Lord Jesus Christ visits her, and that the love in her heart is so big, so big she cannot even describe it. And now she is even happier that at least she knows someone that she can relates too. Someone she can share with these personal wonders that are happening in her life.

I believe her wholeheartedly. I know exactly what she is going through, and what she is talking about. And you know what? She belongs to a religion I’d never even heard off.

What I am trying to say here is that we could be missing the joy of our lives if we could relate to our friends differently, or with whom ever we meet throughout the journey of our own life. I could have made a real mess while I went to visit my friend in Florida. I could have challenged him to view my beliefs were better than his.

This I think would have been a disaster.

He was talking about his beliefs because he cared about me. Because he was concerned just like my families are for example, so why would I want to interrupt his intentions that according to him are well intended? Why spoiled the “now” by disrespecting his hospitality?  Challenging him would not have made him change his mind.  What we have to keep in mind is that at the end we are the only ones responsible for our own actions, and the ways we got along with others.

It is important to know that each and every level of “knowing” that everyone have about religious knowledge/spirituality or any kind of knowledge, is the experience that the “Inner Self or Inner God from the infinite Absolute” is experiencing at that moment of this lifetime through that specific human body or human being. We have to reflect on this because when we do, we start respecting people and nature, and as well as from a Celestial point of view. When we start practicing this, we most certainly be at the path of enlightenment.

Navigate to the beauty of your friends, and family. Just observe, listen, smile, be thankful, grateful, helpful, and see yourself through them. What will come will surprise you.

Peace for all humanity.

~L Fabre

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