By: Chriselle Correia
Inspire, Writing & Expression, , , , ,

Above The Storm The Smallest Prayer Is Still Heard

Do we love God?

I may not be very pious but that doesn’t mean I lack faith. There is a difference. There’s so much room for hypocrisy at holy places, in fact it very obviously exists.  But what does God have to do with that? It’s the human mind that brings about the corruption within the so called “religious” system. It’s a pity that we give these “holy leaders” the importance that is actually meant to be given to God. We all have different Gods, yes. But the image is more or less the same. The image is that of a super natural being who loves his creation and is the reason for what happens in each of our lives and around us. God has no name or image, it is what we make of him in our minds.


You don’t have to follow every ritual or custom of your respective religion, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t believe in God. Just because of an undesirable incident, you don’t lose faith. None of us are immortal on this planet Earth. We’re all going to die someday, and just because one dies before the other you lose faith in the Lord? Ridiculous!

Do I believe in the concept of heaven and hell? Off course I do. I believe in the fact that we experience heaven and hell on earth itself. None of us know whether it really exists because it is said to be experienced after life. How would we know about it anyway? I was reading a book titled “23 Minutes in Hell” and mind you it gives me the creeps. I read it out of curiosity, but now I feel the brutality. Again, I can’t tell whether heaven or hell really exists, but what’s the harm in thinking that way and leading our lives accordingly? It seems like an easy escape when we say we don’t believe in it. So as to say, we can do anything we like and we won’t be punished or rewarded. I think it’s not about being answerable to anyone else but yourself. So at the end of the day are we answerable to ourselves?

I believe
God doesn’t necessarily decide all that happens in our lives, we do. But he’s the reason we’re living in the first place. So just giving up on God is not how it always works. If something goes wrong in life, we’ve made that choice. So why blame the Almighty for that? Faith is the soul’s right hand. So during any and every trial we face, this faith will help us cope. I don’t fancy the idea of idol worship, or rattling out prayers that I probably don’t even know the meaning of. I believe in direct conversations with God because I know I’m being heard. And so I don’t look for God elsewhere because he resides in me. As long as the faith persists within, what can go wrong?

My life isn’t perfect. I’ve lost my loved ones, I have hard times. But I still sense happiness. And I take that as a huge blessing. I am happy because I choose that path; I choose to still believe in God. Faith gives you the courage to turn back to your worries and say, “You don’t mess with me, I’m still strong.”

Many may not agree with the way I feel. But I don’t feel this way because of another, but for myself. I am a Roman Catholic, and I go to church on a Sunday, one because it’s become habitual. But ever since I’ve developed the power to rationalise I go there because I like serving God in the small ways that I can. It’s not so much the church or the priests or holy leaders, but knowing that it is the house of God I feel a sense of belonging. As kids we do what we’re asked to and as adults we make our own decisions. Irrespective of which religion we belong to, it’s the faith and trust in God that counts. Not the faith of convenience, but the faith of the uncommon sense. In times of trouble faith brings about the calmness.

Where happiness is felt
No I’m not a religious woman. I do not pray for hours together, but the few words that I say to reach out to God are said with faith and that’s my prayer. I love my God, and I know he loves me too. Despite the fact that we’re heading towards a shithole, I see some beauty around me.

There are so many hypocrites in the world but that doesn’t make the world a bad place, does it? The world is still beautiful. You don’t have to be all that prayerful; you just have to do good to others like you would expect one to do to you. Don’t expect everything to happen for the good but for a reason instead. The beauty lies in the fact that this love and faith is not demanded by God, but it’s left up to us. So you love Him with all of your heart, or not at all.

You’re hurt by a loved one, but that doesn’t stop you from loving them. Similarly if one inexpedient incident occurs in our lives, why do we stop believing in God?