Life changing moments

A recent funeral service for one of our dedicated devotees really made me think. The heartfelt appreciation, inspirational life-example, and wonderful memories created a deep impression within me. As I walked around the crematorium seeing the different messages commemorating loved ones who had passed on, I felt my life slowly coming back into perspective. Being face-to-face with death forces you to think out of the box. Such moments of insight remind us of what really matters, where we have to focus our attention, and how pressing problems and issues are insignificant in the bigger scheme of life.

But how long does it last? Unfortunately, within days we seem to get covered over again, settling back into old routines, bad habits and the same deep-rooted struggles. It’s so hard to change. It reminds me of intermittent windscreen wipers. The drops slowly gather on windscreen, but with one wipe all the rain is removed and everything becomes crystal clear. Within a few moments, however, the rain drops again build up and blind our vision. Without another wipe, the driver is susceptible to going seriously off course. Wouldn’t it be great if we would wipe just once, the rain would stop, the sun would come out and we could cruise on without further distraction. Unfortunately, life is not as simple as that.

While flashes of inspiration and insight are undoubtedly essential to our ongoing spiritual growth, they have to tempered with dedication, perseverance and regulated endeavor. Such experiences should lead to tangible changes in our life, changes which need to be sustained until they become habitual and second nature. In this way, each experience contributes to the gradual evolution of our spiritual personality. In this way, we see that great spiritualists may not be products of overnight miracles, but rather gradual and step-by-step transformation.