Recovering from a serious and painful scam loss can precipitate a deeper evaluation of who we really are – and why we are here.
Upon heartfelt reflection on life, some begin to realize that human effort alone will not be an adequate answer for their full recovery and continued well-being. They realise that the advice of “get tough and try harder” is not a satisfactory answer – in fact, such admonition could itself lead to burnout and depression.
In sharing the agony and anguish of having been brutally taken advantage of in a scam with trusted people – and having done all that one can do personally as far as investigating the crime with law enforcement authorities – sometimes the well-meaning, closing advice given is: “There is nothing more than do for you but pray.”
Such advice reflects an intuited realization that our “self-power” is simply inadequate of and by itself. Needed is “Other-Power”.
The nature of this Other-Power is described in many ways by those who have sought a higher purpose for their lives. Some expressions are “Source”, “First Cause”, “Ultimate Reality”, “Allah”, “Yahweh”, “Brahman”, “Tao”, and “God”.
In this section, the word Other-Power will be used, in order to respect all faith traditions.
In the context, then, of suffering agony of the body and of the soul as a result of a gut-wrenching scam, our faith in Other-Power and divine help is far more important and precious than money. Our money, after all, may one day fail, or be lost – and certainly be left behind when we pass away from this earth at our dying.
By contrast, divine help, will never perish – it remains as an undeceiving and everlasting source of refuge. It is Other-Power that will ultimately free us from the ocean of this world’s suffering.
The Sacred Word shares these encouraging words for those dealing with heartache and difficulties: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honour …” (1 Peter 1:6-7, New International Version).
Finally, in our own scam situation (with its monetary loss, although looking back it was merciful in that we could have lost far more) — while we may have become financially poorer, to more than compensate, we have become spiritually richer with renewed faith!
Ultimately, faith in Other-Power will help us in far more lasting ways than what money could ever achieve in our short lives on earth. In the meantime, a faith-filled life will also restore our joy of living!
Alexander and Eva Peck