Beloved, are not the connections in life amazing? No two people in life are exactly alike, yet so many similarities exist. You may like to think of similarities under the name of coincidence.

Ttere are no coincidences. What does this mean to you then – that there are no accidents? There are no surprises? That everything is already known? That everything is destined?

Then what about free will? Does free will then mean that all that comes to you, you brought on yourself? You had something to do with it? Yet, of course, who on earth would ever have desired to be a wife of Henry VIII and be beheaded?

Who, indeed, is the author of his or her fate? Or who is not?

Beloved, now you ask Me:

“God, is this then what karma means? Payback for past deeds?

“If karma is a given, how then do I ever get out of it? Is life a stalemate?

“I ask you, God, can my whole present life be accounted for by the deeds of my accumulated past? Is my whole present life then about the past? Is the past a vise virtually impossible to get out of? Is the past a collar pulled tight around my neck? Are my deeds the sum of my life?

“Beloved God, I can hardly believe you keep such tabs on me.

“Does the word deed sum up the whole purpose of my existence on Earth? Is intention also taken into account? Do I give my good deed in trade so I can be done with karma? What does this say about the entire genre of my spirit? What about my soul? Are good deeds then an inducement as a sort of ‘Get Out of Karma Free Card’?

“Is my Goodness then like a bribe? If I made reprehensible deeds in the past, would You not want me to be innocent of guile now? Isn't karma then déclassé, some kind of double bind? Did You set me up? Did You, God, set me up with karma?

“God, I take a hard line on this. Be assured I respect You and thank You for giving me my life, yet where is my love when it comes to karma? Where is my innocence? Am I entrapped? It is hard for me to accept this.

“God, I ask why would Your powerful attention be on wrongdoing in the first place? It is hard, if not impossible, for me to see but that you hold me tight to the past, Forgive, God. Let Your people go.

“In general, I do try to accept all that befalls as a blessing, yet, with my apologies, dear God, a hang-up on karma as a blessing is hard for me to accept.

“I am inclined to feel that You may have pulled a fast one over on me. Then, I would like to make a new request. Let me preface my new request with chagrin and something of an apology to You Who Art my God:

“Help me, God, so I rise above karma. Help me to remove karma humbly and not protest karma's hold over me. Please remove kinks from my past lives and from my present life. Clear from my heart any resentments I may hold in this life.

“Ah, dear God, might relief from karma this lifetime help to make me more understanding of all those who, like me, are imperfect in our own eyes as well?

“Have You not told us that there is good in everything? Cannot even my trespasses serve a purpose? I am aching to accept karma for good and not as a trespass, so help me, please, God? I submit myself to You.”