When faith comes first

 A story I first read many years ago has been on my mind.
When faith comes first

BENGALURU: A story I first read many years ago has been on my mind. It goes like this: Long ago, a poor village that was totally dependent on a couple of rain-fed small lakes around it and a few wells, did not get any rain for a few years, and the lakes went totally dry. The wells came up dry as well. The farms became dust bowls with nothing, not even weeds, growing there anymore. The people in the village were fast losing hope, and many of them were migrating to the towns and cities far away to try and make some kind of living.

The villagers were getting desperate. And then, one day, a wandering fakir came around and told the villagers he was going to help them out. He said that the next morning, he would organise a prayer for rain, and needed all of the faithful to come there, and that together, their faith would make it happen. Everyone told the fakir that they were of course faithful. Even though there had been no rain, they still prayed as needed, didn’t they? They kept up all the observances, and sure, they will be there the next morning.

And sure enough, they were all there in the morning, and the fakir looked at all of them. Everyone was there, the fakir observed, all bright and curious about what was going to happen, but, pointing to the one person there who had carried an umbrella, said that there was only this one person who had shown real faith and had come prepared for rain, and that other people had just come there out of curiosity. In the story, that one person’s faith was enough and the fakir’s prayers made it pour, and life was good again in the village.

At this point, you might be wondering what this story has to do with love or relationships. Think of it this way: If you are going out on a date, are you that person bringing the umbrella, or are you like the rest of the village, going out with a sense of curiosity, or, maybe worse, a cynicism that wants to see the whole show just so you make some wise cracks later with your buddies?

Keeping up faith is hard, especially in matters of the heart, and more so for the ones that have been hurt over and over, like these villagers with the years of no rain. Just as it is painful but feels almost safe to try and forget how rain feels and not hope for it at all, it is hard to stay hopeful in love when life has been a series of disappointments and hurt. We need to protect ourselves, yes, and yet we also need to be able and willing to be that person who takes the umbrella out at a fresh sign of promise.Faith is not easy, and to allow yourself the chance to feel love again is often just that -- an act of faith.

(The writer is a counsellor with InnerSight)

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