For Me Not To Me

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Mary

[3:42] The angels said, "O Mary, GOD has chosen you and purified you. He has chosen you from all the women. [3:43] "O Mary, you shall submit to your Lord, and prostrate and bow down with those who bow down.” 

[3:45] The angels said, "O Mary, GOD gives you good news: a Word from Him whose name is 'The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary.' He will be prominent in this life and in the Hereafter, and one of those closest to Me. [3:46] "He will speak to the people from the crib, as well as an adult; he will be one of the righteous.”

[19:23] The birth process came to her by the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "(I am so ashamed;) I wish I were dead before this happened, and completely forgotten."

[2:216] Fighting may be imposed on you, even though you dislike it. But you may dislike something which is good for you, and you may like something which is bad for you. GOD knows while you do not know.

[10:61] You do not get into any situation, nor do you recite any Quran, nor do you do anything, without us being witnesses thereof as you do it. Not even an atom's weight is out of your Lord's control, be it in the heavens or the earth. Nor is there anything smaller than an atom, or larger, that is not recorded in a profound record.

When faced with hardship do you believe: “this is happening to me” or “is this happening for me?”

Sura 18 - There is a good reason for everything

the people who own a boat;

the parents of the child;

the treasure for the orphans 

Job 3 1-7

1. After a while, Job opened his mouth to speak. He cursed the day he had been born. 2 He said, 3 “May the day I was born be wiped out. May the night be wiped away when people said, ‘A boy is born!’ 4 May that day turn into darkness. May God in heaven not care about it. May no light shine on it. 5 May gloom and total darkness take it back. May a cloud settle over it. May blackness cover it up. 6 May deep darkness take over the night I was born. May it not be included among the days of the year. May it never appear in any of the months. 7 May no children ever have been born on that night. May no shout of joy be heard in it.

Job 38:4 -7

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?

[21:83] And Job implored his Lord: "Adversity has befallen me, and, of all the merciful ones, You are the Most Merciful." [21:84] We responded to him, relieved his adversity, and restored his family for him, even twice as much. That was a mercy from us, and a reminder for the worshipers.

Example of Joseph -

• Left for dead by his brothers
• Sold into slavery
• Falsely accused and thrown into prison

Even if what happens is a consequence of our actions, God can use this for our good if we trust in Him. Tough Love

If we trust in God he can transform any situation

God who designed a system where:

coal can be transformed into diamonds,

sand into pearls,

and a caterpillar into a butterfly

can transform any situation in our lives as well. 

God who can take the most putrid water and transform it to clean fresh nourishing and delicious for us to drink can also take any situation in our life that the devil has made for our bad into being for our good

[56:68] Have you noted the water you drink? [56:69] Did you send it down from the clouds, or did we? [56:70] If we will, we can make it salty. You should be thankful.

[15:22] ... and cause water to come down from the sky for you to drink. Otherwise, you could not keep it palatable.

Joseph extended stay in prison

[12:36] Two young men were in the prison with him. One of them said, "I saw (in my dream) that I was making wine," and the other said, "I saw myself carrying bread on my head, from which the birds were eating. Inform us of the interpretation of these dreams. We see that you are righteous."

[12:41] "O my prison mates, one of you will be the wine butler for his lord, while the other will be crucified— the birds will eat from his head. This settles the matter about which you have inquired." [12:42] He then said to the one to be saved "Remember me at your lord."* Thus, the devil caused him to forget his Lord, and, consequently, he remained in prison a few more years.

Imagine trying to crack an egg prematurely to help the chick before it was ready to get out on it’s own

[32:21] We let them taste the smaller retribution (of this world), before they incur the greater retribution (of the Hereafter), that they may (take a hint and) reform.

How much worse would it be to spend an eternity in Hell rather than waking up and taking a hint now?

[4:147] What will GOD gain from punishing you, if you became appreciative and believed? GOD is Appreciative, Omniscient.

There is a season for everything - 

Sometimes a season for abundance and sometimes a season for scarcity 

The King's Dream [12:43] The king said, "I saw seven fat cows being devoured by seven skinny cows, and seven green spikes (of wheat), and others shriveled. O my elders, advise me regarding my dream, if you know how to interpret the dreams." [12:44] They said, "Nonsense dreams. When it comes to the interpretation of dreams, we are not knowledgeable." [12:45] The one who was saved (from the prison) said, now that he finally remembered, "I can tell you its interpretation, so send me (to Joseph)."

Joseph Interprets the King's Dream [12:46] "Joseph my friend, inform us about seven fat cows being devoured by seven skinny cows, and seven green spikes, and others shriveled. I wish to go back with some information for the people." [12:47] He said, "What you cultivate during the next seven years, when the time of harvest comes, leave the grains in their spikes, except for what you eat. [12:48] "After that, seven years of drought will come, which will consume most of what you stored for them. [12:49] "After that, a year will come that brings relief for the people, and they will, once again, press juice."

[3:140] If you suffer hardship, the enemy also suffers the same hardship. We alternate the days of victory and defeat among the people. GOD thus distinguishes the true believers, and blesses some of you with martyrdom. GOD dislikes injustice. [3:141] GOD thus toughens those who believe and humiliates the disbelievers.

[17:10] As for those who disbelieve in the Hereafter, we have prepared for them a painful retribution. [17:11] The human being often prays for something that may hurt him, thinking that he is praying for something good. The human being is impatient.

Things are happening for a purpose  – Trust the process 

[2:249] When Saul took command of the troops, he said, "GOD is putting you to the test by means of a stream. Anyone who drinks from it does not belong with me—only those who do not taste it belong with me—unless it is just a single sip." They drank from it, except a few of them. When he crossed it with those who believed, they said, "Now we lack the strength to face Goliath and his troops." Those who were conscious of meeting GOD said, "Many a small army defeated a large army by GOD's leave. GOD is with those who steadfastly persevere.”

[33:12] The hypocrites and those with doubts in their hearts said, "What GOD and His messenger promised us was no more than an illusion!" [33:13] A group of them said, "O people of Yathrib, you cannot attain victory; go back." Others made up excuses to the prophet: "Our homes are vulnerable," when they were not vulnerable. They just wanted to flee. [33:14] Had the enemy invaded and asked them to join, they would have joined the enemy without hesitation.

[33:22] When the true believers saw the parties (ready to attack), they said, "This is what GOD and His messenger have promised us, and GOD and His messenger are truthful." This (dangerous situation) only strengthened their faith and augmented their submission.

If we never move past from “Why is this happening to me” to “This is happing for me” then we could turn into hypocrites

[29:2] Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe," without being put to the test?

[29:10] Among the people there are those who say, "We believe in GOD," but as soon as they suffer any hardship because of GOD, they equate the people's persecution with GOD's retribution. But if blessings from your Lord come your way, they say, "We were with you." Is GOD not fully aware of the people's innermost thoughts? [29:11] GOD will most certainly distinguish those who believe, and He will most certainly expose the hypocrites.

[3:165] Now that you have suffered a setback, and even though you inflicted twice as much suffering (upon your enemy), you said, "Why did this happen to us?" Say, "This is a consequence of your own deeds." GOD is Omnipotent. [3:166] What afflicted you the day the two armies clashed was in accordance with GOD's will, and to distinguish the believers. [3:167] And to expose the hypocrites who were told, "Come fight in the cause of GOD, or contribute." They said, "If we knew how to fight, we would have joined you." They were closer to disbelief then than they were to belief. They uttered with their mouths what was not in their hearts. GOD knows what they conceal. [3:168] They said of their kinsmen, as they stayed behind, "Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed." Say, "Then prevent your own death, if you are truthful."

Difference between a Submitter or Weak Believer and a Hypocrite

Difference between a Hypocrite and a weak believer is the weak believer knows what is right and what is wrong, but lacks the strength to go for the right path. The hypocrite on the other hand will change the definition of the right path to match their desires.

[9:118] Also (redeemed were) the three who stayed behind. The spacious earth became so straitened for them, that they almost gave up all hope for themselves. Finally, they realized that there was no escape from GOD, except to Him. He then redeemed them that they may repent. GOD is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.

[3:154] After the setback, He sent down upon you peaceful slumber that pacified some of you. Others among you were selfishly concerned about themselves. They harbored thoughts about GOD that were not right— the same thoughts they had harbored during the days of ignorance. Thus, they said, "Is anything up to us?" Say, "Everything is up to GOD." They concealed inside themselves what they did not reveal to you. They said, "If it was up to us, none of us would have been killed in this battle." Say, "Had you stayed in your homes, those destined to be killed would have crawled into their death beds." GOD thus puts you to the test to bring out your true convictions, and to test what is in your hearts. GOD is fully aware of the innermost thoughts.

Lot less concern on the outcome and more concern for the process

Marcus Lemonis - The Profit: people, process; profit

Can’t control the winds but we can adjust our sails 

We can’t control the outcome we can only control our input

Can you go through the experience and feel good about your decision?

Sow the seeds to gain the harvest

The farmer who trusts in God knows the process. They know that if they plant the right seeds and do the righteous works that they will reap the benefits regardless of the short term outcome or temporary “season”

Accumulation of what you do everyday

Accumulation of thousands of small decisions to push the lever to the other track 

Slight gradual change to big momentous shift

Stone cutter quote - “When nothing seems to help, I go back and look at the stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it — but all that had gone before.”

[10:61] You do not get into any situation, nor do you recite any Quran, nor do you do anything, without us being witnesses thereof as you do it. Not even an atom's weight is out of your Lord's control, be it in the heavens or the earth. Nor is there anything smaller than an atom, or larger, that is not recorded in a profound record.

 

Boy named sue - Johnny Cash

 

Well my daddy left home when I was three

And he didn't leave much to Ma and me

Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze

Now, I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid

But the meanest thing that he ever did

Was before he left, he went and named me "Sue"

 

Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke

And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk

It seems I had to fight my whole life through

Some gal would giggle and I'd get red

And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head

I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue"

 

…

 

He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile

And he said, "Son, this world is rough

And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough

And I know I wouldn't be there to help you along

So I give you that name and I said goodbye

I knew you'd have to get tough or die

And it's the name that helped to make you strong"

 

He said, "Now you just fought one hell of a fight

And I know you hate me, and you got the right

To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do

But you ought to thank me, before I die

For the gravel in your guts and the spit in your eye

'Cause I'm the person that named you "Sue"

 

What could I do, what could I do

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun

Called him my Pa, and he called me his son

And I come away with a different point of view