All Souls Day this year has left me thinking a little more deeply about life after death. What is a soul exactly? Well, growing up in the Catholic faith (and I'll put a disclaimer right here because everything I will write about in this blog will be from that standpoint. It's nothing personal. Worship what you choose, I'm not claiming to be the only religion, saying you are wrong, etc. There, that should cover it), I was always taught that everyone is born with a soul. It's the part of you that leaves your earthly body after you die and either ascends into Heaven or makes its way to Purgatory, or God forbid, Hell. I'm not exactly sure what it looks like. I guess I picture it as some sort of tea light or something; as crazy as that sounds. I often wonder about dad. I know he went to Heaven, but I wonder if he went as the dad I saw a few months ago? Did he go as a younger version or an older version? Did he get to be whomever he wanted to be? And I think about my Aunt Karen, his sister. She was only 11 when she died. Did she go to Heaven as an 11 year old? Did she greet dad as an 11 year old?
Then that moves me forward to other question. I would like to believe that your loved ones can watch over you from Heaven, but do they? Does he remember us? I guess he does if they say that people who are dying can see people on the other side waiting for them. Does he live in a house or does he sleep on a cloud? Laugh, but these are all very real questions to me. Can he enjoy in Heaven what he did on earth? Can he hunt? I mean, that's killing something so I guess not. What do you possibly do all day in Heaven since most of what we are doing here on earth is often times sinful and there is no sin in Heaven. Can you go shopping? Because if you don't care about worldly possessions in Heaven then why do you need to go shopping? Weigh in here everyone if you could!
Lastly, what I've really been struggling with since my father died is how the Catholic religion states that it is so hard to get to Heaven. You have to practically be a saint! Now, my dad was no saint, but the Catholic religion also believes that if you do all your suffering here on earth, you bypass Purgatory altogether and head straight to St. Peter. I have always loved my faith, but I'm having a really hard time dealing with a religion that teaches unless I'm almost Mother Teresa, then I won't ever see my dad again. And see, I don't think God/Jesus works that way.
So there is my thought for the day. I am going to try to do that each day to make the blog a little more interesting. It will also help me too.
Don't forget to ROCK THE VOTE today. I did!
Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.
-Mother Teresa
4 comments:
I think that all of your questions can only really be answered by you and your beliefs. Do you believe that you'll see your dad in Heaven? If so, then you will. I think that you have to believe to achieve, so to speak. And I think that those who are in heaven don't have time for shopping because they're too busy being the guardian angels of their loved ones. Have you ever read the book, The Shack? I think you should. I think it would actually be a good book to read at this time in your life. I love reading your blog so keep the posts coming!
All religions are different. I do know what the Bible tells us. In Ephesians 2:8-9, it says that "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (That's where my Gracie gets her name) And Romans 10:9 says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." And Romans 3:23 reminds us that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I don't believe we can earn our way into Heaven, which is why Christ had to die on our behalf. If we believe in Him and follow Him, we'll be with him in Heaven when we die. I most definitely think that your dad will be there to greet you when you enter through the gates one day. Oh, and read The Shack - great book!
Thanks you guys. I am really struggling here lately. I will have to get that book! I heard it was great.
I agree with Faith ... read THE SHACK. AWESOME book!!!
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