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Spirituality: Our Greatest
Asset
Our Soul's Journey | by Zeal Okogeri
Growing up as a young boy in my village -- Afikpo, Nigeria -- provided ample opportunities
for spiritual growth. Wisdom was passed down to the youth through the oral tradition
of folklore. We did not have electricity or television when I was a young boy. Our
source of evening entertainment came from listening to stories under the moonlight.
These heartwarming and inspiring stories came from our parents, grandparents and
relatives. As children, we so much looked forward to these stories every evening
the same way children today look forward to watching their favorite television shows.
There is one story that never escaped my memory. I have always been moved by this
story, because it shows that our greatest wealth in the world is not so much our
material accumulations. Rather, it is our close and harmonious relationship with
Divine Spirit or God.
The King
There is a story of an ancient city. In this city lived a king who was the wealthiest
man in the world. He owned everything. One of his advisors was a saint. The saint
was there to help and serve everyone in any way possible. He led worship services,
taught the people about Love and really loved his people wholeheartedly.
The saint had the gift of prophecy. Whenever he had a dream it always came true.
This made him indispensable to the king, who wanted to know many things to help him
rule his kingdom.
One day, the saint woke up with a most disturbing dream. He rushed to the king's
palace to see the king immediately.
The king asked, "What brought you here so early in the morning?"
The saint solemnly replied, "My lord, I am so sorry to tell you this, but last
night I dreamt that the richest man in the world will die tomorrow."
The king was shocked, for he was the richest man in the world. Trying to maintain
his composure, the king laughed jovially and attempted to dismiss the dream, saying:
"Don't worry about me, my dear friend, because nothing is wrong with me. I am
healthy and I feel strong."
"Fine sir," replied the saint, "I just wanted to notify you of my
dream as I have always done in the past."
The saint left the king's palace and returned to a small, modest church where he
lived. But as the king went about his day, he started to seriously consider the news
the saint brought in the morning -- apparently because the saint has never been wrong.
Concerned, he finally decided to go see his doctor for a thorough examination. He
received a clean bill of health from his doctor. Nevertheless he remained worried.
In fact, he went through the rest of the day expecting the worst.
At night he was afraid to fall asleep, because he feared he might not wake up to
see another day. But as nature would have it, the king was alive the next morning.
Full of excitement and pride for having beaten the saint's prophecy, he put on his
best royal robe and eagerly strolled outside his palace. He wanted to go out and
assure his people that he was alive and well.
But when he stepped out of the gates of his palace, he met thousands of his people
weeping and throwing themselves on the ground. Touched that so many people were crying
for him, he raised his hands in a royal manner and shouted, "Stop it! Stop it!
Don't cry anymore, I'm alive! I'm alive!"
But the mourning crowd completely ignored him. Bewildered, the king finally called
on one of the mourners to find out exactly what was going on. It was at this point
that the king learned that the saint had died.
These trying moments
As spiritual seekers, we sometimes go through unimaginable difficulties. The
more we work on ourselves, the more challenges we seem to attract. During these trying
moments, doubt can creep into our minds and attempt to discourage our quest for greater
unfoldment. However, when we are going through problems despite our devotion to God,
it is often an indication that we are climbing spiritually. As Divine Spirit is scrubbing,
cleansing and purifying you, this relentless generosity often manifests itself as
physical hardships. As a sincere seeker, always bear in mind that you are building
"spiritual equity" irrespective of your life circumstances. May the Blessings
Be!
Dr. Zeal Okogeri is a spiritual scholar, teacher, columnist, frequent radio guest
and author of the best-selling book, God's Relentless Generosities -- An Inspiring
Journey of Soul, available at www.Amazon.com, www.Powells.com or by calling 1 (800)
431-1579. He is the founder of Transformative Coaching for Infinite Possibilities®
and provides spiritual coaching. He can be reached at (952) 393-7246 or Oyemaa@Yahoo.com
Copyright © 2005 Dr. Zeal Okogeri. All rights reserved. |
| June 2005 |
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