If Spirit is Guiding Us, Why Do Painful Things Happen?

A very good question. One that we, as connected as we are to our Spirit Guides and followers of their direction are, struggle with occasionally. These are the three main things we’ve learned and hope that it helps you.

1. You are being given a lesson.

We all have lessons to learn while we live our lives. Not the ones we learn in school or at home – like math or cooking. Life lessons. How to be patient. How to overcome adversity. How to forgive. How to be humble.

Learning these lessons is part of your purpose in this life. They are given to you so that you grow; not only in this life but to move your forward in your next life as well.

Sometimes it feels like the lesson is never-ending. We wonder “Why?” And we ask for it to end. When it doesn’t end when we want, we doubt that we are being guided. This is not so. We are being guided. The lesson seems to be never-ending because we aren’t listening. We aren’t learning. Our egos have gotten in the way.

2. Your Ego has taken over.

It is a failing we all have. We believe we deserve certain things in life. We believe we know what is best for ourselves. So we stop listening to our guides and try to control outcomes. This never works in our favour and life gets painful.

For example, I disliked my job. I believed if I got further ahead, reached a certain professional standing and made more money, I would be happy. I worked hard and achieved those goals but happiness didn’t follow. I came to hate my career. As I moved up, I got sicker and sicker. My allergies worsened, my food sensitivities sky-rocketed. It got to a point where there were only about 10 foods I could eat. I wasn’t listening to my Guides. I was trying to force myself into a life that I thought was best for me. When I finally got tired of living this way and opened myself up to the idea that I was meant to do something else, my life changed. I allowed myself to realize that I didn’t know what was best. I opened myself up to the guidance that Spirit offered me and I followed it. I found my purpose and passion and I live it. And my health has improved dramatically. Now, there is nothing I can’t eat.

Our guides have the whole picture – we don’t. They know what is best for us. When we tune them out, and pursue a path based on ego, we pay the price.

3. It is someone else’s path.

You’ve lost a loved one. Or you are witnessing the suffering of a loved one and can’t help them. It hurts. But while it hurts, it isn’t always about your hurt, or your fear, or your frustration. It is about what that person has to learn in this life. That person had to pass at that point as it was his/her journey to do so. That person has to suffer physical or mental illness or harm because he/she is being given a lesson.

It doesn’t seem fair or just. However, there is always a light that comes out of it. It can lead to hope, strength, compassion, leadership, awareness or, as in death, the end of suffering. This is where Spirit Guides lead these loved ones – to light, learning and renewal.

Remember that this is his/her journey to enlightenment – and yours too. We have to remember that in every lesson, every misstep taken by our egos and pain that comes with our loved ones’ journeys, we are being led to light, peace and love.