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short stories

Every day I die a little, yet every day I live a little too

I die a little to let the old go away, and I live a little for the new beginning coming my way.

      “When we are born, we are already heading towards death.” To think in this way, life can be a horrible thing, unless we look towards what happens once we die. Each individual has their own beliefs about what happens when we cease to exist here on earth. Some would believe there is a great place called Heaven. Others believe we come back as other people or life forms. There are people who believe we go to the planet of the aliens that made us. There are even those who believe there is nothing after death. I’m sure there are many other beliefs that are not coming to mind right now, but for this post, I will be talking about those I have mentioned.

Tomb in a graveyard

       Before I get into these different beliefs about what happens to us once we die, I believe we must first ask ourselves how we came to be. There are many different beliefs in this aspect as well. Some believe we started as an amoeba and worked our way up to monkeys, from which the lucky ones were able to evolve into humans. I suppose the monkeys left behind weren’t quite ready to evolve when others were. I question this belief due to the fact of where did the amoeba come from. Others believe we were planted by aliens from a far-off planet, and we are more like a science experiment. I also question this, due to the fact that I don’t know where these aliens come from and who created them. There are those who believe in multiple gods, and yet others who believe in one. The problem we have as humans is that we think we know or must know everything. We believe there must be a beginning and an end, or do we believe in an end? As I stated above, the only ones who believe in an end are those who believe our deaths are the end, while others believe there is something after. So who is right, and who is wrong? The only way we will find this is after death, or is it?

       Those who believe there is nothing after death are those I want to talk about first. Fear not, I am not here to tell you if I think you are right or wrong. I just have a hard time believing that this is it. All the hard work through life with no reward for it I think everything that humans do has a purpose, and I think it’s sad to believe that we really don’t after all. What is the purpose of life? Why are we here in the first place? If death is the ultimate end, isn’t life just a cruel joke? I’m sorry, my friends; I can’t buy into this one. I think it would make me empty inside to believe this is all there is. What am I working for if not to become the dirt beneath my feet? I think it would make me just want to go through life with no hope. Humans without hope are sad people, indeed. I think I will stay clear of the nothing theory. 

       When it comes to the aliens planting us, this is a little intriguing. However, I just can’t wrap my head around this one. Is there life on other planets? Possibly. I would think if we were from aliens, we would be contacted directly by them and not just flown by every now and then. I guess it’s kind of like having a pet. Would you put your pet somewhere and never have contact with it or want to play with it? Besides, I don’t like to think of myself as a pet in the first place. So, sorry, I just can’t imagine this is where we came from.

Female alien holding flowers

     Is there such a thing as reincarnation? And, if there is, do we get to choose what form we come back as? If I had a choice and I wanted to come back as my dog, what if my dog was my great-uncle Albert from a life before? Do I displace him, or am I given a second choice? How many deaths would it take to finish using up all life forms? Furthermore, who is giving me this choice or making the choice for me? This one sounds interesting; however, too many moving parts could cause many collisions. I mean, if five hundred people wanted to come back to the same spot, who makes the decision of who gets first choice? Furthermore, does the cycle end, or do we have to keep coming back time and time again? I think I will leave this one alone for others to figure out the logistics for.

       So how about the multiple gods? Well, the first thing I would want to know is, “Who is the Supreme One?” And, if there is one Supreme over the others, wouldn’t this mean he/she/it was actually the one and the others were just wannabes? That would mean the other gods couldn’t be gods at all. What would they be, mini gods? This just doesn’t fly in my judgment. It seems like a lot of thought had to go into this one. Too complicated for my thinking. It makes my brain hurt just trying to figure out who to follow with this theory. Sorry, but one is enough for me.

       So we came from monkeys, huh? This is the belief of those who follow evolution. I don’t know about you, but this one is difficult as well. I have gone to the zoo and seen these creatures, and even though I have seen a few people that had the big ears and hairy backs, I have to question it. If we evolved from monkeys, what kept the others from evolving with us? Why haven’t we seen any change in the monkeys at the zoo? Why are we keeping our ancestors locked up in the first place? Why is there very little difference from one monkey to the next? Wouldn’t you think, if this were true, there would be some that maybe evolved half way between monkey and human? This seems like too difficult a solution for me as well. 

Monkeys huddled together

What caused the big bang, and did it come from nothingness? Were there a billion big bangs to create the multi-universes, or were rocks just thrown here and there throughout space? And if the big bang started everything, then why do we have all the life here on earth, while the moon is void of such things? Furthermore, who created the mass to cause the big bang in the first place? An awful lot of thought went into this one. Sorry, I just can’t swallow it.

      So we’ve come down to one Almighty who created everything, and when we die, we go on to live with him, depending on how you believe, of course. Well, this solves a couple of the problems. For one, there is a creator who covers all, including the planets, stars, moons, and life. One being created all; that somewhat sews things up. This would explain how everything started, not just us. It does sound better, but there are still questions that must be asked. Things like, “Whose god is the true God?” I mean, different sets of people believe they have the right one and everyone else is wrong. I guess I’d choose mine, because it’s nice to know that I was made in God’s image. Some gods have gone on to die and will never be seen or heard from again. These gods want to leave the rest of the story up to the humans, his creation. That doesn’t seem right. I mean, he’s God; how could we go on if he didn’t take care of us? The Christian God has a son who died and came back to life for the sole purpose of taking care of us. Well, I guess if he were God, he wouldn’t stay dead, right? If he created all of this, he would have to be very powerful. This God and the story of creation seem to be the simplest solutions to our problems, and it’s nice to think that life doesn’t end after death; it just changes. This makes me feel better about how things came to be. And these Christians seem to love and want peace. That sounds like a good thing. I think I like this explanation; it seems to cover all the bases without the stumbling blocks. I think this is the one I will seek out and follow. 

Necklace with a cross hanging from a rod, with sunset in the background.

We all have our own beliefs about how things came to be. Not all beliefs can be correct, and nobody will know for sure until their time comes to meet the one who created them. I challenge you to look deep into your beliefs and pick the one who shows true love for his creation. If you feel that you have found the truth without a doubt in your heart, you have definitely found the truth. If you have doubts, maybe you have been living a fantasy. We don’t have to know everything about creation, but we shouldn’t have any doubts about who we are following. 

I completely understand how some may cheer what I have written while others will hate that I ever put pen to paper. Either way is fine with me because I believe in “free will” as well. I believe God gave us a brain for a reason other than keeping our heads from collapsing. Don’t be afraid to question your existence. Some will get it right, while many others will be wrong, and we will all know who in due time. Take care, my friends. I shall write again soon. 

Seeking A Higher PoWeR

      It makes no difference what religion you follow, if that is, you follow a said religion at all, we all are seeking a higher power even if that higher power lies within the very body you possess. When it comes right down to it, we are basically working towards the same goal, maybe just following a different book, whether it be fact or fiction. So who is correct and who is following amiss? Are you happy with who you are and where you believe you are heading after you leave this world behind? Do you wake in the morning looking forward to life or groan because life still finds you when you wake? Are you an atheist and believe in nothing past this life other than the worms in your grave for your final destination? Are you a Christian and believe Heaven is preparing a place for you? Where do you stand and are you correct in your beliefs?

Man sitting and thinking in graveyard

     These are questions that are in the heart of everyone of us whether you want to admit it or deny it, it is fact. I have my beliefs, you have yours and that will be as it is until the end of life and we find out who is right and who missed the boat, unless before death you or I change what we believe and follow a different path. I have said this before and I will say it again, I am a Born again Christian and believe that I have a place in Heaven waiting for me. I don’t understand other beliefs as much as I would like to so I could have a better understanding of how others think. I stand by the belief that religion is man made and Christianity is God made. Let me explain this with a little more clarity.

      Within the Christian community their are religious sectors that separates one from the other in various ways. Their are Baptist, Methodist and pentecostal, just to name a few. The differences within these may not mean much to you unless you yourself are a Christian. Basically they all interpret the Holy Bible in a slightly different way but are still following the same Holy scriptures. This means that religion is man’s way of following what God made. We are all Christians ( God made ) following within different religions ( man made ). I hope this helps you understand the difference. I, myself, follow the Holy Bible without being in any certain  religious sect and am bound to the whole book not just the parts and pieces that I feel like being a part of. In other words, if it is written, it is so. If you want to place me into a religious sector, it would be Charismatic Christian, for I believe in the Holy Spirit as is also written. This my friends really paints me into a corner but it is how I am able to get closer to my God that I seek, follow and pray to. I believe if I were to omit parts of the Bible, the word would have no meaning left in it. It’s all or nothing in my view. I believe that I can be forgiven for not adhering to a part or parts if I only ask for forgiveness but when all is said and done, I am still bound by the word.

Praying hands on Holy Bible

      I am not here to preach to you or change your views in any way but rather to explain why I write the way I do and try not to offend anyone who are reading my post. The main thing I am trying to say, in one way or another is, we are all seeking something in the beyond, except atheist which are seeking nothing beyond the grave. As far as atheist go, the one part I don’t understand is during a life and death situation, why cry out to God, if there is no God? This tells me of all the religious beliefs, the atheist are one of whom are believing amiss. To all of us others in this great marble floating in space, ask yourself, “What are my beliefs and are they to the betterment or destruction of mankind?”

     I know that I have given you a lot to chew on in this post and I will probably get a lot of flack from it. That’s okay, I’m a big boy and I can handle it! I challenge you to write what you believe and why in the comments below. I along with others would like to hear your views.

     I wish each and everyone of you a blessed presence within the life you have chosen, no matter whom you follow or don’t. Take care and Remember, we are all in this together.