Seeing Clearly

How is it we are so good at seeing the ways in which other people create what they seemingly don't want in their lives and we tend not to be so swift at seeing what we do? At a glance, I see repeated patterns in others. They act too hastily or too slowly. Whatever it is, they set up the same conditions for themselves that take them down the same road they don't want to go down -- or, do they, for unconscious reasons, want to go down it? From the outside, it sure seems like they trade one problem for another. The situation is different, yet it is the same.  Do you know what I'm talking about?

Of course, sometimes there is no possible explanation for what occurs, and this includes our great experiences as well.

There are, however, situations that are clearly reminiscent of the Katzenjammer Kids where, at the end of each comic strip, whatever the trouble they got into, they would confess: "We brung it on ourselves."

But in real life we so often don't see it.  It's like we put blinders over our eyes.

I wonder how I get into certain situations again and again. It must be because I don't learn. I don't see the situation so how can I learn to avoid it? Or I do see it, and still I don't learn and bring the similar situation on again and again.

From what I observe, there is much rationalization in the world. I begin to see that rationalization is a way of not taking responsibility. I see that rationalization grows like a weed. We can rationalize anything.

I had an adult friend once who got himself into a lot of trouble. He was kicked out of places and banned from coming back. The friend didn't see his responsibility, not in the least. He interpreted his troublesome behavior as his God-given lesson to give to others! He said with certainty: "I'm here to be their teacher. It's their problem how they react to me."

To me, that seems so far afield. Well, at least, he didn't go around feeling like a victim!

I still wonder why it's often so hard for us to take responsibility. Maybe because of our childhood, responsibility was taught afterward and not beforehand, and so responsibility became blame, and blame got to be too much for us.

Off the top of my head, God has told us three things in regard to our unwanted patterns:

1. We have to get out of the past.

2. In today's Heavenletter (the day I'm writing this)  HEAVEN #3787 Like a Wireless Connection on Earth, April 8, 2011 God talks about not passing the buck and affirms our taking responsibility for ourselves .

3. Another slant that God has offered many times is: "How do we know that a situation we see as wrong is wrong?"

So even a mess we get into is could be the right thing at this time?

How many times do we have to go through something until we learn to change the pattern?

God sure has patience.