Trust in God and Tie your Camel
There is a Sufi saying that states, "Trust in God and tie your camel." This is a poetic way of describing the paradox of surrendering to Source energy, letting it bring blessings and surprises to you, while at the same time making plans and taking earthly precautions. This is the balancing act that you are called to do as a spirit in an earthly body. Finding the balance between surrender, or accepting what is, and setting a goal is a minute-by-minute challenge. Those who do it consciously do it better.
I was reminded of this the other day. In my rush to get out the door to give a presentation to a women’s group across town, I forgot my purse. I discovered the omission 15 minutes into my drive, and I realized right away that I couldn’t go back to fetch it if I wanted to be on time for my presentation. So I kept on. Then, I started listing in my mind what was in my purse - my driver’s license, my credit cards, my money, my lipstick and - Oh no! - my smart phone, which held the name of the company that I was speaking at, the address AND the directions to it! Without my phone, I couldn’t even call someone to get directions! I not only felt naked without my purse, I felt bereft of my technological safety net. I wracked my brain for the details that I remembered, which were - well, not much: the name of the street and the approximate route to get there. And, I remembered that the company name had three initials in it, like TXO or something similar.
"OK, God," I prayed, "I am in your hands now. I trust you to guide me to my destination." Then I just gave it up, trusting that Source would guide me to my destination.
I had just read an article in Newsweek about the four actions that people who have a high "survivor IQ" do to increase their odds of being lucky. One of these actions is to remain fully aware to life and the possibilities inherent in every situation. Taking that to heart, I drove very carefully, with an unusual level of vigilance and with my eyes wide open, scanning for possibilities in every moment. I exited off the freeway - that much, but only that much, was I certain of - and then I just opened my eyes and my heart for what was going to happen. I recognized the name of the street just as I was almost past it, took a screeching right turn, then again beseeched God to guide me. I drove about 3 blocks, and suddenly came upon a beautiful office building with a peaceful fountain in front. There, right before my eyes, I recognized the company name on the building’s marquee - AXA Advisors! Another screeching right turn, and I was parking in the visitor’s lot. As I entered the building, I saw a colleague who was running the meeting and she greeted me like nothing had happened.
Everything seemed normal to my friend, but for me, a miracle had happened. I had neglected to tie my camel, so to speak, and I had to trust in God to get me to my destination. Surrendering control is not easy for me to do, even though I try to let go and let God. But that day, I had no choice but to hand over control to Source.
What I learned is that you must meet God half-way, you can’t just give up and let God do all the work. I had to keep going in order to be able to receive Source’s blessing of guiding me to my destination. If I had given up or turned back, I would have cheated myself of the blessing, and certainly the lesson. But I also had to let go of my need to know how I would get there; I had to relax my control of the itinerary. I had to trust that divine energy would get me there. And it did.
Step forward and keep moving, all while trusting that Source will ultimately guide you to your destination. Trust in God and tie your camel.
Does this parable apply to being a man of faith but also having a gun for protection. They say rust in God, but also keep a just in case you need to protect yourself
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