Cats fall on their feet when they
are thrown up in the air. How do humans fare?
When we are ‘thrown’ around in
life, during turbulent relationships and accidents, as victims of crime or
natural disaster, being long-term unemployed, or the death of a loved one, many
of us fall on our faces.
Why does this occur? Shortsightedness
could be one cause. By shortsightedness I mean one’s eyes are focused on
ourselves or what is just in front of us and not on the bigger picture. Seeing
the bigger picture requires the ability to step-back in order to view the
ground and what’s above: the horizon. The secret is to maintain vision beyond
ourselves, whether directly on our Creator or the belief in a destiny.
At a recent spiritual retreat,
a Sufi scholar said that “people of taqwa (God-consciousness) fall on
their feet, through the grace of God.” When our eyes are farsighted, that is,
able to focus on the horizon that is God, accidents and incidents lose their "it's a disaster" and “it's the end of the world” effect on our lives. The higher up our sight is focused the less
grave events seem.
Life can throw up all sorts of
challenges and trials. The trick is to stay above them by looking to Whom it is
that is casting them downwards upon us. Can we be of those who look beyond the
immediacy of events and look to the horizon, and in doing so land on our feet?
May God grant us the ability
to look beyond the chaos on the ground. May we
land on our feet after enduring the trials of this life. Aameen.
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