Faith Over Fear

The Drowning Man

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”

The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.”

So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.”

To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.”

To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you but you didn’t save me, you let me drown. I don’t understand why!”

To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?”

I have told this simple story many times, as well as contemplated it. We have a preconceived notion as to how our blessings from God should look and literally miss all that God has sent our way to save us or to guide us! Mostly because we forget what faith is, our blessings don't always come with a big red bow wrapped around with a note telling you that here is the blessing you have been asking for… oh no, the universe has a very funny sense of humor as to how it doles out its many gifts.

God makes no mistakes! He misses nothing, He knows all things, and can see beyond your moment in time when you feel blind, deaf, and mute when you are in despair.

I have learned that when we ask we then need to wait and believe that while we continue to do what is in front of us all will work out better than imagined. If we do not do this suffering begins because we don't know how to let go and get out of our way and let God do what we have prayed for.

Easier said than done especially when what you want and don't want to seem to be clear in our minds, we believe that we are the ones that know what the right path is, rather than believe that God has a much larger and easier plan for us. When God sends us a gift that doesn't look like what we expected we may say.. “oh thanks, but not quite what I had in mind, I will wait for the next one to come. Thanks anyway! “ But we already know what happened to the man on the roof!!

It is very hard to decipher what is a path we should take and what is the path to avoid! How do we know the answer? We don’t, that is why it's called faith! We don't know how anything will turn out, we only have to do what has been placed in front of us and not waiver. Miracles take place during this time, at least they have always done so throughout my life.

Here is a story:

Many years ago I was meditating on nothingness, and a message popped up for me, this was a strong message about an Ashram (spiritual community) that I was supposed to build. “That's lovely”, I thought but who am I to build an Ashram so I put the image/message aside. Although, I was accustomed to these kinds of messages and knew that when they came “they” were not asking me but telling me this was happening.

At this point in my life I was a single mother of three teenage boys and one of them had some health issues and took up a lot of my time and personal energy. I did not have 2 cents to rub together, my child support was ending and I had to make some very sad and hard decisions as to where I would live. I knew that I had to sell my home, a home I was connected very strongly it represented security for me and my children. But… I could not justify carrying such a home with all its expenses. I decided to sell it and move into a sweet cottage on a pond.

Long story short, I thought I sold my home but it fell through while the prospective buyers were renting my home under a Hubbard clause. It turns out they changed their mind and decided to break their contract and stop paying rent. I was unable to carry my new rental as well as my mortgage. My house was now in foreclosure and I could not get the people to leave my home.

2 years later things began to resolve themselves, but the house was not sold and I was in major arrears and the thought of losing my house was looming.

Again, the message of an Ashram appeared! Insanity! I was in foreclosure and was being dragged into the courts by a couple that wanted out of their contract.

I was distraught and the last thing that I needed to do was expand!

The universe has a very funny sense of humor!

I placed the thoughts of creating an ashram aside since I was inundated with what looked like real-life issues. Then, a friend of mine decided to throw herself into the process of creating this ashram/studio with me. She found the space that eventually would be called Jiiva Yoga and Meditation Center! She put up the money and I brought all that I knew. We opened in October 2015! All was good, we began large and I thought we would continue.

A month after opening it was time to do our first payroll, I excitedly said let’s print the paychecks and sign them! I was very excited to think that we could pay someone a salary! She looked at me and said that she could but that I couldn't sign anything. I asked her what she was talking about so she shamelessly explained that she had duped me, that she had me sign documents on the fly that cut me out of any controlling aspect of my business and its finances. She was taking money back that she invested and would do so until she was fully paid and she expected me to continue to work for her and create this income.

I was outraged! I prayed! I cried! I was told by so many people to walk away from this partnership and this business! I would have agreed if it weren't for the fact that in agreeing I am also feeding my fears of failure and of that message of the Ashram. Build an Ashram! I didn’t know what to do.

I continued to pray and meditate.

On the third week of December on a Monday, I walked into my studio that was now under water! Yes, the place was flooded! There was an issue with the boiler upstairs and all weekend it had rained down onto the entirety of the first floor, and everything had collapsed upon itself! Everything that was new was ruined! I arrived at a spectacle of blowers, rugs being ripped up, walls being cut out, and all my new yoga stuff placed in large garbage bags to be removed.

I was devastated! It's a sign they said! Move they said! Run they said!

But God gave me a message, I don't know what that message was supposed to mean or what it was supposed to do but I believed it, and Him, I didn't walk away, I stayed. Staying and working through something is often not the easiest thing to do, but it was in front of me and that's what I did.

Turns out that my partner was not so interested in staying with a new studio underwater and prospects looking pretty bleak! So I made her an offer to buy her out, keeping in mind that I did not have the money to do so but I took it as an opportunity to place my fear aside and move forward. I didn't know where the money would come from but it had to come from somewhere or else why would I be in the situation that I was in?

We worked out a buyout agreement where I would pay her a certain amount of money every month or else she took procession of the entire company if I defaulted. This was an absurd contract to sign but I signed it! The insurance company that we used was not happy about having to pay out on a business that had literally just opened its doors and offered me a check for $350! I was despondent.

I went home and cried and then meditated and prayed. A few days later a small man walked into the studio, he said that he heard of what was going on and thought he might be able to help, he said that he was an insurance adjuster and normally works on multi-million dollar accounts but by the look of my bookkeeping he saw that I was honest and said he would do the work pro-bono! What?! Why? He said he was compelled to do so. Long story short, he was able to get the insurance company to pay out just the right amount that I needed to buy my partner out! Then the insurance paid for the repairs of the studio. I was now the owner of a beautifully restored, carpeted, painted yoga and healing studio! Just like that!

I often think about what would have happened if I did pack up and left when the ceiling was falling down around me. By the way, I'm not saying to stay when things are chaotic and crazy, but when you have a vision of what is to come and you move toward that vision with faith and conviction, you have to see it through.

I have many more stories that I will share with you in the future to inspire you to follow your faith and put your fears aside, to accept help from people around you that show up on a hunch, and know that these people and circumstances came because you prayed and asked for help and God sent you a boat, then a helicopter a flood and a small insurance adjuster to save you!

Ask and you shall receive, believe it, know it to be true.

Faith over fear, do what is in front of you with kindness and love over darkness and despair.

Hari Om Tat Sat

Berta