Jaymie to Heavenletters:

I'm really enjoying Heaven's Letters. It seems every time I read them, my questions are answered.

I have a question for God.

Jaymie to God:

Dear God, my Uncle Bob is in the hospital. He went in for an angiogram, and they found blockage. He then had open heart surgery. This was three weeks ago. He is still on a respirator, and he has not fully woken up.

I want to ask You, God, why does it take so long for some people to heal? Why don't You, God, either heal them quickly or take them to Heaven right away? Why do people have to suffer?

Thank You.

God to Jaymie:

Dear heart, if My children could outline the laws of nature, there would be no death, no illness, no pain, no suffering. You would be then left with other problems to solve. The purpose of life on earth is not the avoidance of problems.

We could call earth life a school, a particular kind of school. Life School. Just as in life, some choose a technical college and others art or literature or music, you have chosen to be in this school of life on earth. Here everything is impermanent except for the underlying undying Truth.

There is what you call risk here. Along with all the beauty of earthly life, there is an end to it, and ends to each stage, and beginnings of the next. But truth is eternal, and so are you.

Your body is at risk, but you are not.

Your body and mind can experience pain, but you cannot.

We can say that you project your life onto a screen. You project it. Pictures in your mind are projected onto the screen. And you see those pictures and life presented to you, but you presented them to you.

As if you were in a play, you take a certain part, and that is the part you play. That is the story you write and read and project on the stage. You create every gesture, every expression, every word. You wrote the script. And you write it still and you rewrite and you cross out and you try again.

Truth is that you and I are One.

This truth has been forgotten.

This is suffering, to be apart from your Creator.

To sever our connection, even in imagination, gives you a false premise to base your life on. What you think your life is, your life is. Your life, as you experience it, is a concept, Jaymie. Human life has been built on fear, and fears are realized.

When My children are attached to the physical life, they are attached to the physical life.

I do not think anything I can say can answer your question. I do not say that from my inability to express, but from your inability to accept. I see the whole universe, and you see two steps in front of you. But, ah, you see more than two steps in front of you, for you see danger and pain and suffering ahead of you at every turn. I don't mean just you. I mean all of My children.

My children think this is terrible and that is terrible, and the cycle of what if's is built.

What if nothing were terrible?

What if everything were okay?

What if your uncle in the hospital is working out something wonderful. What if he is just finishing out a script he wrote. What if, whether he gets better or not, he can walk away from all this and come to Me?

What you consider so important may not be that important. Nothing you think in illusion may be in truth. Lift your eyes up and see more.

Pain and suffering come from blocks.

Blocks come from fear.

No fear, no blocks, no pain, no suffering.

If you did not know you were suffering, would you be suffering?

If you did not have the word, would you have the concept?

If you did not have the concept, would you have the word?

Suffering is passed down, Jaymie.

Pass down happiness instead.

Tragedy is a decision your mind makes.

It is an interpretation.

It is not that physical life is above all else. Physical life is not the most important thing in the world. Everyone thinks so. And they also think that the physical life must be shaped a certain way, that it must be in this form and not another. And so tragedy is born.

And when tragedy occurs, then it is continued in thoughts about it. Mourning and grieving, worrying and fretting.

If I were in a human body, I would go through what you do. I am in a human body. I am in yours. I am within you. Believe that or not. Choose that or not. Have your attention on that or not. Have your attention on that, and your attention will not be so much on the fantasies of life.

You feel pain and suffering when your attention is on them. If your attention is on something else, your attention is not on pain. If your attention is on something else, you are not in pain. You are where your attention is.

Remember this. You are free. You are not bound. You are not bound to pain and suffering.

You do not know that your uncle is suffering.

You are suffering enough for him.

There are many whose loved ones' bodies have died. They would be glad to have their beloved in your uncle's hospital bed. They might not be suffering at this moment if their beloved had the life and possibility of more that your uncle does. They might be happy.

Suffering is a very relative thing.

It is not God-given.

Would you really prefer that I come in and end physical lives immediately, never a delay, never a long illness. Get out of bed today or die tomorrow? Instant recovery or instant death?

If that were the state of affairs, you would ask why My children have to die so quickly and are not given more of a chance to live. Is that not true?

Pray for your uncle that he knows he is in My keeping, and that there is nothing, nothing, nothing on earth or in Heaven that can keep him away from Me. Pray that he knows his worth to Me. Pray that his attention is on My love and not on human dismay. Pray that his life continues or not according to his will and Mine, not yours. Pray that you can love life and love Me and love yourself with all My love. Know that I love you, Jaymie, and your uncle, and all souls, and that you are Mine, and I am yours, and We are blessed in our One Love that unites Us all.