Ramadan Night 25 - The Third Entry

By (the token of)

Time (through the ages),

Verily man

Is in loss,

Except such as have faith,

And do righteous deeds,

And (join together)

In the mutual teaching

Of truth, and of

Patience and constancy.

S.103 A.1-3

 

This verse is the entire sura, and I could write more about it than the previous 102 combined - dont' worry, I won't. "Is in loss" caught my eye first - I have been lost so long, I am not sure I can remember even looking for a path back, growing accustomed to the relative strangeness about me. Converting cleared my vision though, and for the first time, I saw what I wanted to become.  I have plenty of guidance now, and the confidence that God wants me to succeed  -  I am not where I want to be, but I am no longer lost.

I love the reference to joining together!  To often, I focus on my relationship to God's word, sometimes even losing God in the equation, let alone sharing these issues of faith with other Muslims. I long to do this, but don't know how.  Maybe these posts are my first attempt. 

Children of abuse learn to turn inward quickly, and I was quicker than most.  Most of my world has been lived in my own head, most of my experiences in my own heart. I have been told so many times that I immediately bring people into me, only to let them partially in.  I have lost the few people I have let in further, and then have been left with no one to share the pain.  I think there comes a time when it is no longer a matter of wanting to share things with people, when you cannot even imagine how.  This is not an appeal for a sympathetic comment :) rather the analysis of someone yearning to learn how to "join together" for the first time in his life.

I feel really good about my faith and my journey to God, and I would like to commune with others and share this joy.  I need to learn how to do this, how to open up to others. This will be my new task after Eid, one that will require a lot of patience and guidance.  If you are reading this, you are welcome to help..........

*My friends -  Today is a beautiful day, partly because you are in it!