We often pray to God for things to happen the way we want them to be. We ask God for peace and heal the wounds of our anger and animus. We ask him to solve the problems of the world which are largely our own making. And often beyond that, I often want to refashion God into my image and likeness. I sometimes want Him to behave as I want him to behave. I ask him to catch me whenever I fall, to shield me from all harm and adversity, to clear paths for me. I would even not allow Him to be God by invoking justice calling for punishment upon those who have hurt or wronged me.
That is all so reprehensible. God is Lord of both History and Creation. How can we pretend to tell Him how to work things out. The real prayer is for us to know God’s will or design, through the signs and wonders He sends us everyday. And then align our lives to His will. God gave us the free will to plan out our own lives. But our plans have to align with His Divine Will and not go against it. I must let God be God.
There also this tendency to create others in my image and likeness. Wouldn’t the world be a lot better if only everyone behaved as I expected to do? This is specially evident in my relationships with my loved ones. I painfully learned recently, hopefully not too late, the deleterious effects of this tendency on my most treasured relationship. The Other is a gift and one does tamper not tinker with a precious gift. Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate! The gift as I received it is perfect, direct from God. I should not try to refashion nor recreate it in my image and likeness.
Karen used to sing:
You’ve got lo love me
For what I am
For simply being me
Don’t love me
For what you intend
Or hope that I will be
What I am I have to be
The picture of perfection
Is only on your mind
For all your expectations
Love can never be designed
We must take each other
For everything we are.
Creation is a work of heart, God’s heart. And love is God recreating creation in the human heart. Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate.