Life Lottery (Ticket to Ride)
Hello My Friend,
Let's start this sermon with a couple of quotes:
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
~ Pablo Picasso
“Let me live 'neath your spell
Do do that voodoo that you do so well.
For you do something to me
That nobody else could do.”
~ Cole Porter
Do you know that no one else can do what you do? That no one else can fill the role that you are meant to play? This is the reason you are here: to fulfill the role that the world actually needs from you now. Your positive contribution is wanted and needed to make the Universe whole. Without your positive contribution the world just isn’t the same.
The energy you bring, the creative contribution you have to offer in this lifetime is required to make the world better. That’s how this system works: You do what you do as you radiate the natural, inborn love that pulses and vibrates from you – and, as a result, the world, the Universe, the spirit of Man, grows stronger, brighter, and lovelier.
I know that some naysayers may argue, “but, Rev. Shakes, there are billions and billions of people living in this crazy, mixed-up world. You’re telling me that each and every one of us has a contribution to make? A contribution that the world actually needs?” And the answer, of course, is Yes.
The Universe is a precise machine, it doesn’t make mistakes. It knows what is needed, and thus you are here to fulfill its needs – otherwise you wouldn’t be here. You aren’t here by chance or ‘just because,’ no. You are here for a very specific purpose. Maybe some of us aren’t aware of our requirements, or duty, and we may miss the mark (or ‘sin’) and never complete our purpose while we are here. So be it. We’ll just have to come back later and give it another shot. But if we’re lucky enough to recognize the God within us, then we’ll understand who we are, why we are here, and then we’ll actually do something about it – like fulfill the role that we were meant to play.
“You don't have to be a star, baby, to be in my show.”
~ Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
Sure, maybe each of us doesn’t have a ‘starring role’ that the rest of the world looks up to and admires – but that’s just the Hollywood version of ‘fulfilling your purpose.’ Some of us might have the simple but monumental role of raising a good family, helping our neighbors, caring for the needy, or teaching children to read and write. We all can’t be movie stars and rock stars and ‘powerful’ political figureheads and, to be honest, the roles don’t offer nearly as much value as those who dedicate themselves to the seemingly small tasks of being a supportive, loving, kind source of comfort, knowledge, and wisdom. The sweet old lady who lives down the street and shares her stories and her fresh-baked cookies with the neighborhood kids is doing more than the action hero on the silver screen. Just because she’s not famous doesn’t mean that she doesn’t change lives for the better and thus make the world a better, brighter place.
You don’t need to have a huge ego to have a huge impact. You don’t need to be congratulated to know that you’ve done the right thing. If you give honestly of yourself in a loving way then you shall be rewarded accordingly. Maybe that reward isn’t in the form of a superficial gold-painted trophy or cash and prizes. Maybe your reward comes in the form of a smile from a grateful child. And if anyone can tell me a greater reward than that, I’d like to hear about it because I know for a fact that it doesn’t exist.
God / the Universe / Love ‘wants’ you to grow in the world, in this lifetime, so that Love can grow and spread forth propagating the goodness that can only come from the recognition of the God within you. It’s a self-serving system that knows that a lot of people are going to get tossed around and lost in the sea of chaos that the world floods them with, but It also knows that each one of us can overcome the tide of ‘bad luck’ and horrible circumstances and come to realize that the God within us is very much alive.
Upon recognition of the God within you, you will triumph over the dark times and trying situations and arrive at the shore of victory. And when this happens there is no choice but for the ones that have reached that shore to share the idea of the everlasting, everloving power of God.
This whole get-up, this whole charade, this whole world (filled with its props and illusions) is simply here to make us realize that there is, in fact, a God within us – the same God that creates the world in which we live. Good or bad, the circumstances that we encounter in our lives are simply sharpening stones that are meant to refine us; to make us sharper and more efficient. The circumstances we don’t like are the one that most need dealing with. It’s easy to feel good when things are going good, but the real challenge is feeling good when things are going bad. This is when character is built, and this when you get to prove yourself and really define who you are.
Let me ask you this: have you ever scared yourself for fun? Have you watched a scary movie through your fingers, on the edge of your seat the whole time, loving every minute of it eventhough your senses are precariously heightened to the extreme and you don’t know what to expect next? Well, that’s what your Spirit is doing through you as you live your life.
Before you were born, your Soul won the ‘life lottery’ and it finally got its ticket to take a ride through a life - your life. And its job, its objective, is to take control of the steering wheel and direct you to the finish line as a successful lover of life. Now, this isn’t to imply that you need to be a wild and crazy go-getter that undertakes outlandish physical adventures and lives a ‘daredevil’ life. No, you can take it easy and still be a great lover of life. You can be as quiet and gentle as you please. You just have to love life in your own way. That’s what will make it a lovely life. But for your Soul to take control of your life, you have to get out of Its way and let it take the wheel.
Some people will tell you that life (your earthly existence) is a prison or a school, but what if it’s just a playground, an amusement park for your Spirit? What if this is something fun that your Spirit actually wants to engage in for the thrill of it all? What if this is a vacation for your Spirit? What if this life is just one of many that you will have? What if your Spirit/Soul/Essence has a fist full of tickets and is determined to ride every ride in the park? Would you take your life as seriously as you do now? That’s not to say that your life is frivolous by any means, it’s not, but as Bill Hicks said, “This is just a ride.” If you can come to this realization then maybe you can hang on tight and enjoy the ups and downs and twists and turns instead of screaming and crying for it to stop so you can get off. Don’t worry, it’ll stop soon enough. Until then just enjoy the ride.
Let’s keep beating this dead horse with another analogy, shall we? Why not?
Have you ever gone into a maze? You know, like those corn field mazes at the pumpkin patch or one of those fancy hedge mazes made from natural shrubbery? If so, why did you go into it? The answer: so that you can get lost and then find your way out. It’s simple and it’s challenging and it’s fun. Sure, it may be frustrating at times, but when you come out the other end you are filled with a joy and excitement that you could not have had by simply walking around the maze. Walking around, going the easy way without the twists and turns and dead ends, is absolutely no fun at all. There is no challenge in that and therefore most people don’t pass up the chance to enter a maze to discover if they have the wherewithal to find their way to the exit. Of course, some people get lost and start crying or have a panic attack, and then someone has to come in and ‘rescue’ them by calmly leading them out – which is fine. There’s no shame in that because we all need a little guidance once in a while.
If you could look at life as though it were a game, a challenge, or a maze then you might see that, although circumstance and people may appear to be working against you, they are simply the twists and turns that let you know that you’re going the wrong way. All of your ‘troubles’ are merely guideposts to help you find the path that leads to freedom and true liberty; the freedom to become the one you are meant to be; to share your gifts with others; to the be the You that only you can be; to do that Voodoo that you do so well.
Until we meet again, my friend, think good thoughts.
All my love,
Rev. Shakes Spear