Where is God? Some may wonder if God is out there. Some days I feel spirited, and other times a little depressed. I sometimes crave for coffee because I know it makes me a little spirited; but eventually that goes away. Work sometimes makes me spirited; but I am retired now. Wonder why we cannot always feel spirited? I know there are people out there that are spirited whatever happens in their lives. Yes they do have sorrow, which I believe is different than depression. These spirited people always overcome their sorrow to be happy again. Is there a gene in their DNA that makes them spirited?

Does our environment cause us to be spirited or depressed? Some people say that clouds add to our depression, and the sun adds to our spirits; maybe there will be a study on the effects of light? Hopeful these studies will not be conducted by our over spending government, that will probable conclude that global warming causes our depression!

As I said before, I have been drinking my elixir (coffee) to make my mind spirited. Others try alcohol or drugs, whether it is prescribed or illicit. Look at the drug epidemic in our country; people are looking to be spirited. Some believe that they can find happiness by power, or monetary possessions. But these appear to be only temporary fixes.

In the Heaven’s Truth Religion (Tenrikyo), God teaches us how to become spirited. He tells us to remove evil (greed, arrogance, and self-love) from our minds. How do we remove these evils or dusts that sometimes are imbued in our minds? It is not as easy as wishing them away. Like dust ingrained in mirrors, they are difficult to remove. We must make an effort on our part and also ask God to help us.

Sometimes whether it is karma or God’s test on us, we continue to suffer or have events that bring upon our evil thoughts. These events are forks in the road. We can act on our negative thoughts, or we can calm our minds, and not act on them negatively.   When we act positively, these negative thoughts gradually do not emerge from our minds. For some, this process may take some time and require more karma, or God’s test to purify the mind. There also will be some lapses and regression in this process; as sometimes we temporarily lose our commitment. But with faith in God and our commitment to remove these dusts, this path will bring upon joy.

God is said to help us sweep these evils from our minds. How does he do this? That illness may be God guiding you to remove evil from your mind. God tells us to calm our minds and ponder when illness comes upon the body. This may be God’s reminder to remove the evil that emerges in our minds.

Where is God? Look at the illness that comes upon your bodies; they may be God’s blessings to help you become spirited. Temporary illnesses as a path to eternal joy are God’s blessing to the world. In the past when some one had said, “God bless you”, I was suspicious of the persons motive; but today I am always reminded of God’s blessings of illness to help us to become spirited. May God bless everyone!