Seeds of Glory

1) Came across this article while browsing for articles. Quite inspirational.

Sometime back I heard a real-life story which for me offered an insightful and inspiring view of interpreting the reality of what we see as "pain or suffering" in this world of ours, and forever has changed the way I look at it.

As a father stood before an audience of parents and their children with special needs, at an event at their school he blurted out a question which shocked but maybe also resonated with all those that heard it. He asked that if all that God seeks to create is perfection then why was his child born mentally challenged? But then he went on to answer the question which he had raised, that it was because through him, God wants to create perfection in those around him.

He told his listeners about a day when he and his young son Shasta went out for a walk. On their way they crossed a baseball field and when Shasta saw a group of boys cheerfully playing he asked his father if he too could join them. His father thought that the chances were probably slim of the boys letting his son be part of their game, but went ahead and asked one of the boys, who after looking at his team members being all occupied, answered on their behalf by saying that Shasta could join his team, but that the game was in the last inning and his team was almost halfway through the batting, and so if Shasta's turn would come he too could take the bat. Shasta was delighted being able to join in!

Soon all the team was out and Shasta was the only one that remained, and his team needed just one run to win the match. Shasta's father wondered if the boys would actually let him play but Shasta was given the bat and out he went to the field. The pitcher drew in close and threw in a soft ball to Shasta who was stumbling with his bat. Shasta missed the first pitch and the pitcher drew in more closer, but Shasta missed again. Thereupon a team member of Shasta's came up to him and grabbed him so that now both of them held the bat together. They hit the last pitch together and the ball landed close to the pitcher. Shasta's team cheered him and screamed for him to run to first base and Shasta bewildered started stumbling towards first base. The pitcher looked at the ball and then threw it not to the first base, but loosely flung it away. Shasta's team mates cheered him on towards second base. The fielder near whom the ball had landed took hold of it and having understood the intention of the pitcher flung it away from second base. Shasta ran past the second base but the boys in the field did not try to strike him out but always flung the ball away from the base towards which Shasta was running. As Shasta ran past the third base all the boys cheered him to run to home base and Shasta ecstatic and fumbling made it home and all the boys from both teams gathered around him and cheered him and took him up on their shoulders and carried him around the field. That day, the father told his audience, that day all those boys achieved perfection.

In our lives we encounter hardships and many challenges, and often we ask ourselves "Why, why is God creating these circumstances?" It may be because he is presenting us with moments in time to raise us to heights of moral and spiritual glory. It is up to us what we do with those moments, do we waste them and let time fly by in inaction or do we rise to the occasion, gather our courage and create something beautiful in and around us, which is what God truly wants us to do.

There is a lot of suffering in this world, which people like you and me can alleviate, and maybe in that suffering lies the challenge for us to climb up and claim victory for our souls and for humanity. Neither you nor I alone can eliminate all the hunger, poverty, disease or crime in this world but if we all do what we can in our own lives, then together, by the grace of God, we can change the face of this earth.

I believe that God is moving mountains and oceans to seek out the perfection and glory of humanity. Will we rise to claim it? Will we feed the seeds of glory that God has sown deep in our hearts or will we cover them with stones and be sifted away by God as the real carnage?

By Nadia Ahmad

2) May this article give us new hope encountering our problems we face in this world. And of course, may we achieve Jannah together. :-)