A few readers have asked this question in each their own way, according to their personal spiritual beliefs. This is a very important question because our beliefs significantly affect our approaches to health and even the degree to which we heal.
Beliefs like this are so easy to accept as our reality, and yet so limiting to our healing process. Discover more beliefs that can limit your healing at: http://misahopkins.com/beating-the-odds-free-special-report/
In a sense, we could say that all illnesses are meant to be and are reflections of our karma or God’s will. That could include age-related deteriorating eye-sight, broken bones, skin rashes, or the flu.
So, perhaps the real question we are asking is whether it is appropriate to do something about it. When you put your particular illness or chronic condition along side fairly common ailments, it provides a whole new perspective doesn’t it?
If we deem it to be acceptable to have a doctor set our broken bones, discover the cause of a rash and treat it, take care of ourselves when we contract the flu or buy glasses to correct our vision, isn’t it equally appropriate to find our solutions for more serious conditions?
There is yet another aspect of this question that can cause great internal confusion. If an illness is God’s will or karma, then you probably hold a belief that there is a purpose or lesson involved that you need or want to understand. By-passing that service or lesson misses the potential gift of the physical challenge.
Let’s address this dilemma first in terms of karma and then in terms of God’s will. If there is a karmic lesson involved, you might want to ask yourself this question, “Do I believe that I must play out the drama associated with this illness until I die in order to bring my karma into balance?”
If your answer is, “Yes,” then you have determined what is required and do indeed need to live with the illness until you make your crossing. Spiritually, you are getting ready for the final and wonderful freedom that death brings, so letting go of anything that could encumber a graceful and beautiful crossing needs to be released. In your spiritual practice you will want to find compassion for any regrets and resentments that may be related to your illness and your life. The compassion frees you to be more present to Divine consciousness.
However, if your answer was, “No,” you might want to ask yourself this question, “Do I need to understand the origin of my karmic lesson in order to be freed from the role I am playing?” If your answer is, “Yes,” then you want to focus a great deal of your healing attention on understanding the karmic basis of your illness and finding compassion for your past life and present-life choices. The compassion and understanding will free you from your karma.
If you do not believe you need to understand the origin of the karma in order to be freed from it, you will want to focus your attention on methods of releasing yourself from the karmic wheel. In this case, your direct your spiritual practice toward freedom from your perceived limits, regardless of whether or not you remember the origin of this karmic limit.
All responses are appropriate, because your beliefs are shaping the experience of your reality. The key is to be truthful with yourself and what you believe, so that you can respond appropriately to your actual beliefs. Responding to beliefs you don’t have, but think you should have won’t help you. You’ll see changes when you respond to your true beliefs.
Physical suffering calls us to greater compassion for ourselves, whether we go deeper into the suffering, release ourselves from it, or become freed from it when we cross over. So you have the liberty to choose what feels right to you because ultimately it all leads to compassion, and compassion heals the body and soul, and opens a doorway to Divine awareness.
Let’s look at illness as God’s will, serving a purpose for yourself and others. You might want to consider asking God what purpose this illness is serving for a greater good. Then become an observer of Divine will in action.
Notice how your illness affects the lives of those you love. What are you learning together? How is each of you being challenged to be and hold more than you ever would have dreamed? In what ways is your faith or capacity for love stretching beyond its normal boundaries? Notice how deep, profound and constant love is being required.
Become an instrument of love. Challenge yourself to love everything—the pain, the discomfort, the limits, frustrations, blessings, joys, freedom from pain—all of it. Why? Because doesn’t God ask us to learn how to love without limits? Doesn’t illness push us beyond the boundaries of how deeply we might have thought we could love?
It is difficult to be in on-going pain and find the energy to show kindness toward another. It is challenging to be a tired caretaker, yet continue to be gentle with the person you are attending. Suffering calls us to our greatest expression of compassion and love—toward others and ourselves.
Become the love God asks us to become and quietly observe how your service transforms you and those around you. Notice how healing treatments have the greatest potential positive effect when they are received in love. God’s influence is profound in an environment of unconditional love. Since God’s nature is love, God is most welcome in a body, mind and spirit that you are loving.
You might begin to notice that serving the greater purpose of becoming unconditional love, frees your energy to more fully receive healing. Your love of God within you attracts the treatments and healers that serve you best. Or your love will help you transcend your pain until you are ready to be welcomed on the other side into God’s arms.
Whatever our beliefs about our illnesses, physical limits provide us with opportunities to discover the profound depths of our capacity to love. My own experiences have taught me to search the beliefs that limit my ability to love and love the process I am experiencing, because that’s where the freedom truly lives.
