I don't have ANY concept of "God" in a traditional sense, I was raised strict Catholic, I never felt comfortable with those teachings which were force fed to me for so long. What I was left with, was only my twisted perception, a rather ugly impression had been branded into my defiant mind as to WHO this God character was supposed to be.
Today, after some fearless, soul searching I've begun to break free and identify for myself that "God" is merely a word, apparently a universal word symbolizing a creator. I cannot personify such a concept, as many seem to be able to do without a second thought.
To satisfy my own visions, I considered the concept of a "Higher Power". For this no personification of "God" is possible. I simply imagine the forces of nature. I know that if I were to muster up all of my human power and call upon a thousand friends, I would still fail miserably in trying to create or prevent a tsunami, tornado, earthquake, volcano, hurricane, flood, mudslide, avalanche, sinkhole, blizzard, heatwave, drought, or any combination. I see no human power responsible for the sun rising or setting, the seasons from changing, or any of the daily life in nature that flows all around me. Beyond that, I have no need to understand YOUR concept of a "Higher Power" or "God" or a "Creator". Simply stated, everything after respect and kindness is inconsequential to me. Life will continue to go on whether I am awake or asleep, dead or alive, engaged in my personal recovery or not.
As for prayer... I view prayer as the power of positive thought, accepting the fact that this word, "God" symbolizes so many things to so many people, requires a great deal of humility. I will never be able to comprehend such complexities as to how it all came about, the planets, the universe, space, and the history of man and mankind. I can see for myself in my own life that positive thought supports positive actions which in turn yield positive results, maybe not immediately, in the manner I WANT everything, but always in the long run.
My own personal choice to research ANCIENT teachings from cultures that have proven to have a far healthier lifestyle than mine (such as Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Taoism) have helped me choose the principles of living a spirituality centered life based on kindness and personal growth. When there is serenity and peace at the core of my being, I make healthier decisions. I have a value system of good morals and peace of mind.
