Discovering Divinity: A Deep Dive Into God's Real Role in Our Lives

Why do our prayers sometimes go unanswered? Is God an omnipotent rule-enforcer, or a being of unbounded love? Today, we're diving headfirst into these hard-hitting questions as we grapple with understanding who God truly is. 

We'll put the spotlight on the paradox of unanswered prayers and tackle why calamities happen to the righteous, all while sharing our insights on how you can get your prayers heard and answered.

But we're not stopping there. The conversation continues as we uncover life's dichotomies and discuss how trials and divine storms are meant to thrust us into alignment with our true selves. 

We'll delve into the correlation between your mind and your heart and how to know  when what you want is aligned with your true soul's desire or your human ego. 

We'll also explore whether our connection to God requires weekly attendance in a house of worship, or can it be fostered somewhere else through daily moments of solitude, prayer, and meditation. 

So, join us on this enlightening journey, and let's challenge our beliefs together. 

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Feel free to contact us with any questions/comments you may have about this episode via email at Joe@thelovementors.com or Natalie@thelovementors.com.

You can also send us a DM and follow us on Instagram @the.lovementors or reach out in our Facebook Group - Manifesting Love in Midlife. We can also be found on YouTube - @JoeandNat.

We always love to hear from you! Be Blessed!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

This is Joe.

Speaker 2: 0:03

And this is Nat and you're listening to the Getting Better With Age podcast to show that helps you navigate midlife challenges and turn them into opportunities to grow and evolve into a happier, healthier and more empowered you.

Speaker 1: 0:15

And remember, getting older doesn't mean that the best years have to be behind you. We believe, like a fine wine, you and your life can get better with age, and we're here to show you exactly how to do that.

Speaker 2: 0:26

So grab a glass of vino, kick off your shoes and join us in discovering how to make the next chapter of your life the best one yet.

Speaker 1: 0:36

Hey everyone, it's Joe and it's Nat, and welcome back to another episode of Getting Better With Age. We've got a good one. What's going on, Wifey?

Speaker 2: 0:43

Oh, nothing much Busy. Back to school. Fall summer's over, you know.

Speaker 1: 0:49

That's it.

Speaker 2: 0:50

Still depressing when summer's over. Yeah, I get it.

Speaker 1: 0:53

This is not my favorite time of year because that means in a couple months to cold, dreary, ugly. It's dark at like five o'clock. Yeah, it's like ugh.

Speaker 2: 1:03

Anyway, until then.

Speaker 1: 1:06

Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about something that can be more uplifting, more energized. Actually, we're going to tell you right up front, this is going to be a very controversial episode, because we're going to talk about something that most of us have an idea about, but I believe that we don't really truly understand it. So have you ever been at a point in your life where you wanted something really bad? Maybe you were brought up in a certain faith, certain religion, and you were asking and you were praying for it and it wasn't happening. Maybe that's going on in your life now that, like, there's something that you're struggling with and you're like why am I going through this? This isn't what I want, and you're, you're praying, you're asking God for answers and nothing's happening and he just doesn't get. It doesn't make sense.

Speaker 1: 1:49

You're a good person, right? You got a big heart, you got a lot to offer your tree, other people, well, and yet you're struggling with this and it just doesn't make sense, right? So what we're going to talk about today is what you need to do to get your prayers answered, and so, to start that off, we're going to start by talking who is God really? Right? We all have this idea about who God is. But who is God really? Is it? You know, we grew up Catholic.

Speaker 2: 2:20

Yes.

Speaker 1: 2:21

So is it the you know omnipotent being who has these commandments and that if you don't follow them, you know you don't eat meat on Friday. You know you got to go to confession. If you don't go to confession, you're going to burn in hell? Or is it this omnipotent being who loves us unconditionally, which we're also taught so?

Speaker 2: 2:38

right. So we can get a little confusing, because God is love, right. That's what we're talking. God loves everybody, god is not judgmental, god forgives everybody. But then if you follow His rules if you follow the rules right and if you know you miss church on Sunday, you have to go to confess. And if you eat meat on Friday and you know it's, you have to confess.

Speaker 1: 3:03

Like but there are a lot of good people.

Speaker 2: 3:05

No, and it just it's very, it's very confusing and as a child, when I was young, it was very confusing to me. And we're all like you know, we're good people, like you know, we're not criminals, we're not where. It's like. Okay, I did something really wrong. You know, I didn't eat meat on Friday.

Speaker 1: 3:26

And we all may have done those little things, you know. You know when we were younger, you know walk out of the store without paying something. Or you know if somebody gives us the wrong change, you know we don't give it back Like we've all done shit Like the bottom of your car Right.

Speaker 1: 3:41

Like, none of us are saints. I mean there may be some out there, but we've all done things that you know, according to most religions, are sins. But you know, as we talked about in a lot of faiths, you know God is. You know God is this unconditional love. But if God is so unconditionally loving, why does this bad shit happen, like, why did I lose my dad at 15? Why does some people lose their child, who has done nothing to these horrible cancers and other diseases? Why do people die suddenly and tragic?

Speaker 1: 4:15

Like, if God is so loving, why does he permit this stuff to happen? And why, when we're asking for you know, when we're praying, what we're supposed to do, like ask and you shall receive, right? Is that what we're told? And so we're asking and we're receiving. I mean, we're asking and yet we're not receiving, or we're getting the exact opposite of what we want, right? So I think it first and foremost starts by understanding who God really is. But I know I've been on this journey for many decades now and I've this is something going back to Catholic school, where you know being indoctrinated with a lot of things I was talking about. Wait a minute, this doesn't make sense.

Speaker 2: 4:52

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:52

Right, right, right. But if I meet on Friday, I'm a sinner and I can go to hell. Or if I screw up and make a mistake but I don't get to confession in time, then I'm going to die and I'm going to burn in eternal hell.

Speaker 2: 5:10

Like I remember being I don't know I was probably about eight years old sitting in the pew. We were all waiting to go to confession. You know, and I'm sitting there and I'm going and this is, I swear, eight years old. I knew nothing about, nothing at anything about at eight years old. And in my head I'm going I don't know, I don't get it. I'm like why do I have to tell this guy in this box what I did? That was wrong? Why can't I just tell God myself, can't I just talk to him? Because we pray, we pray in church, we pray, we talk to him.

Speaker 1: 5:41

Why do I need a middleman?

Speaker 2: 5:41

Why do I need a middleman. Exactly that's what I said.

Speaker 1: 5:44

It's like Amazon. Why do I need a middleman? I don't go to the store, I go right to Amazon.

Speaker 2: 5:47

I didn't get it and I was at that age. You know, and part of me just knew that that didn't resonate. Right, and that's what resonates for some people, and that's fine.

Speaker 1: 5:57

And that's when we're not. We're not here to tell you what to think. We're just here to stir up and have a conversation, to get to the truth.

Speaker 1: 6:04

Because we're at that stage where, you know, most of us believe. Why is life getting difficult? You know we're seeing friends and family members. We just still ask. You know Jimmy Buffett died the other day. You know I was a huge parrot head back in the day and it's like Jimmy Buffett, you know, was spreading such joy and such happiness and such love throughout this world Fun all the time Right. And yet you know he died at 76 from a four year battle with some kind of skin cancer.

Speaker 1: 6:27

And it's like, well, why did that happen? And yet there are other people who live into their nineties Like, why does God allow this? And so that's what we're going to talk about today His, first and foremost, understanding who God really is. Because, you know, if you look up religions of the world, there are over 4200 religions in the world, and that's a lot.

Speaker 2: 6:45

Everybody believes something different.

Speaker 1: 6:46

And everybody's got a different perception of God, and most of us, when we're indoctrinated into certain cultures, certain societies, certain religions, we believe that the God we're taught is the God, and we're not here to tell you what to believe, but to help you find your truth. Because that's what we do when we work with our clients we help them find their truth, Because once you find your truth in your heart and your soul, then it's a matter. How can I align myself with this divine source who wants to do its part, but we have to do ours.

Speaker 2: 7:19

Right, and I think that's the biggest thing, because I also used to say when I was younger I'm like, well, ok, I believe in Jesus, but you know, let's say, muslims, they believe in Allah, right, and I'm like, well, when a Catholic dies, they want to see Jesus. But what if it's not? What if it's Allah? Like you know what I mean. So it's the concept of God, I think, is so. So we make it so specific, but I think it's actually more general than that, and what we believe is that God is an energy. It's not a he or a she or, you know, an Allah or Jesus or Buddha, and not saying that they didn't. You know Jesus did exist. I mean, there's he was there.

Speaker 2: 8:03

So they write. But Was he the son of God? Was he?

Speaker 1: 8:07

then I don't know and I don't want to get into religious battles or anything.

Speaker 2: 8:11

But I think for the most part, god is energy and a divine energy.

Speaker 1: 8:19

Right, and so you know, as you were saying, that the first thing was coming up because we're all indoctrinated with these beliefs. Right, and so Catholics would thought to believe Jesus born again. You know Jesus is the Savior. Well, what about Jewish people? They don't believe Jesus was the Son of God. Right, yeah, right. And so it's like, okay, well, now you're not going to get into heaven, you know we're going to get there. Well, you're Jewish, you didn't believe in this Jesus, so you're not going to. But you were a good person, you did amazing things, you were a great husband, a great father, a great mother, a great daughter. But now you didn't believe, so you're not allowed in.

Speaker 2: 8:49

So see, he'd be very confused.

Speaker 1: 8:50

Right. So that's where it's like what's the truth, right? That's what this is all about. What's the truth? Who is God? And so you know. To take what you're saying a little step further, what I've come to know and believe to be true is that God is the divine source. Yes, and the divine source at its core is an energy of love.

Speaker 2: 9:10

Yep.

Speaker 1: 9:11

And so now I know somebody go. But if God is love, why did I lose my son? Why did I lose my husband? Why did my ex break up with me? Why did they cheat on me? Why does God allow these things to happen? And I think that's where we have to take our human mind and ego out of the equation and look at the divine purpose of life.

Speaker 1: 9:30

And so what I've learned is two things is that if you experience something in your life and you don't want it, say the death of a you had a child who passed away, right which why would God take your child from you? Like, this was your flesh and blood, your creation, and your child is no longer here or dies tragically or, you know, over a horrible, horrible illness, like, why does God allow this? What I've learned is that is part of the soul's journey for the child. The child kind of signed up to okay, I'm going to come into this world. For, you know, two years, six years, eight years, 17 years, 24 years you're like my dad 45 years, and their time was up. They did what they needed to do in this journey and then they were able to move on. But their journey also was for other people as well.

Speaker 1: 10:24

So my dad died at 45. His journey and what he experienced completely impacted me and my life and my journey and maybe look at life differently. If I hadn't gone through what I went through and watching him pass, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't have looked at the things that I've looked at and done the work if I didn't go through that. So that was part of his journey. So I believe God allowed my dad to pass because it was simply part of his journey.

Speaker 2: 10:56

But you're also. I know somebody's out there is saying well, why would a soul sign up for that? Right, right, oh, I love that. You know somebody's asking.

Speaker 1: 11:06

And I love that question because this is something where I struggled when I was first on this pass, and what I've learned is that, and think of it like this if there was no such thing as darkness, how could we know light?

Speaker 2: 11:20

Exactly.

Speaker 1: 11:20

Right. If there was no such thing as evil, how could we know good? So the dichotomies in life exist, so we can understand things and see things through different lenses and different experiences. And so what I've learned is the hardships, the tragedies, the divine storms are all part of our journey and they're meant to wake us up, to help us see where we need to make the changes, to do the work to ultimately align us with who we really are, so we can manifest what our heart desires. And I think that's the difference between someone who's conscious and understands who God really is and how this thing called life really works, versus those who are unconscious, that have just been indoctrinated to a certain belief and they accept that belief as being true without really examining and looking at it. And again, we're not here to tell you what to believe or to believe what we believe.

Speaker 1: 12:14

We're just here to shine the light of truth on things that we've learned, that we've experienced, that we know to be true and to be quite transparent. There are things that we still struggle with.

Speaker 1: 12:23

Absolutely when we are not perfect, right when we're learning to find the answers and get to the truth and get our mind and egos out of the way. So you know, to circle back around to your question is, the bad things that happen are the darkness, and our soul needs the darkness in order to find the light. The problem for most of us is we sit around and we curse the darkness.

Speaker 1: 12:47

I don't like the darkness. I don't want the darkness. It shouldn't be this way. You know why did that happen. You know we see so many when my dad passed, you know I guess my grandmother was probably in her 60s when he passed and then she lived another 20-something years and from the day he passed to the day she passed, she lived her life in grief.

Speaker 1: 13:09

You know the old Italian widow wore the black and you know, and just life was horrible and like, was always crying and and just never was able to move on. And it's not a judgment, it's what she had to go through, but she was never able to see it through the eyes of. This was my dad's journey, which was part of her journey, and it was meant to happen, for whatever reason. And so you know, to kind of circle back around that you know this is all to help you define who is God to you. You know if you've been taught this is God is, this is who God is, and you know like you need to live a certain way.

Speaker 1: 13:44

When you get to heaven, you get to 72 versions. You know that that may be true, but is that what your heart and soul tells you God really is? You know, does the God that you really believe in your heart and soul? Kind of like you said it ate why, at eight years old, Did you know that? Because there was a part of you that knows wait a minute, this isn't.

Speaker 2: 14:04

This is bullshit.

Speaker 1: 14:05

Right, there's something that's really off here. I remember being in Catholic school and you know, sister Leopold and you know, and indoctrinating or stuff, and I'm going wait a minute. Like God created everything and God created Satan, right, who is this wayward angel?

Speaker 1: 14:21

who created all this havoc. Well, if God knew this wayward child was going to create all this havoc, why don't you? Why don't you just get rid of them? Right, if you created a robot? Right, you see in the movies you create a robot and that robot creates havoc. Well, they destroy the robot.

Speaker 2: 14:37

Right, right. Why are you going to?

Speaker 1: 14:39

let it go on and create all this havoc. It just doesn't make sense, and so what I've come to learn is that darkness, that evil, plays a role Right.

Speaker 2: 14:48

And I also think in a conversation like this, you know, we have to kind of take the religion out of it, because the truth is the religion is manmade, right, right, and a lot of the religion. Some religions started off as one but then they, you know, they went off in their own directions because of political reasons, right, so power and control Right and usually money, exactly Money.

Speaker 2: 15:15

Right. But so let's not look at it as religion in this conversation. It's really spirituality and energy, and who, like you, can have a very good relationship with God without quote unquote religion, like I truly believe that I don't have to go to this house of God every Sunday to have a relationship with him. And I know there are other reasons why people go. They like the community, they like the you know everybody's together and that just never resonated with me. But I can still sit here every day and talk to God and have a relationship with him and teach that to my children.

Speaker 1: 16:07

And again, I think the biggest thing is what works for each individual. Because you know, my mother she's, she loves going to church and she feels so at peace. You know, every time when I go to church I just feel so at peace, I feel so connected to God and that absolutely works with her and that resonates and and it gives her satisfaction. Joy answers peace, whatever it may be. Or I'm kind of like, you know, I'm like that doesn't work for me.

Speaker 1: 16:29

I'm sitting there, I'm looking at the walls, I'm thinking about what I'm going to do when I'm going to get at a church where I'm going to eat and and, but you know, taking time every morning to connect, to pray, to meditate, that's what fills my heart, fills my soul, and I think that's really what the purpose of this is for you to find your truth. Who is God to you? Because if you've been indoctrinated or you've never been taught and you just go through life just trying to survive this thing called life, without that connection to this divine source, who I believe is love and understanding that just because it unconditionally loves us doesn't mean that we are not going to experience darkness in life, and the darkness does play a role.

Speaker 1: 17:13

Yes, and so when we can understand that, that God is not out to get us. I don't believe God. God arbitrarily picks and chooses. Well, you know what, Mary, you're going to find love, but you know, Terry, sorry, you're a good person, You're just as good as Mary and you got everything to offer, but you know what you got to suffer. You're going to be alone, You're never going to have somebody to share your life with and you're going to live with a bunch of cats. I just don't believe that works.

Speaker 1: 17:40

Now, on the flip side, that I will say that I believe for some souls journeys. They are not meant to be in a relationship and so maybe their, their journey is to not have someone to share their life with, but to be at peace, to feel complete, to feel whole in whatever way it may be for them, but people will. How do you know? Because that's what? Well, how do you know if I'm meant to be alone or not? Here's how I. What I believe is that if you have a desire in your heart, you are meant to experience that Right.

Speaker 1: 18:14

If you cannot be at peace with not having someone in your life to share your life with and we're talking in your heart and your soul, not in your mind and your ego, right, but in your heart and your soul. Like you know what, I'm perfectly cool on my own. It'd be nice to have someone, but if I don't, that's fine. I got a great life anyway, I love my life. If you can't get to that point and it's like you know what, no, I really want someone to share my life with. Like you know, when, before we met, I think we're both like that, like, hey, we got great lives and we're really cool, but I just want someone to share my life with, like, and that comes from your heart and your soul, right?

Speaker 2: 18:48

And I think that's is kind of really differentiating, that and knowing. Is this real, like Joe said, really truly in your heart, a desire that you want? Or is it in your head, just for example? Let's think about how many times when you were younger you had a you know a boyfriend and then he broke up with you and oh no, I want him back so bad and you would cry.

Speaker 2: 19:06

I love him and you know. You felt that it was your desire. But was it really? Why didn't God answer your prayers? I want him back. God, please bring him back to me. No, but then you ended up with somebody even better.

Speaker 1: 19:21

Right, right. And I'll give you a perfect example that you know when I think I've shared another podcast that when I was engaged to my ex, I was going to church every day. At that point I was still practicing Catholicism and I was lighting a candlelight. Because that's what you do you pray, you ask for God every day, lighting a candlelighting. And ultimately it never happened. And then I realized later that my soul knew I wasn't happy in that relationship. I really didn't want her back because I wasn't getting the love that my heart and soul knew I deserved and that I really wanted. It was just my mind and ego. I didn't want to be alone, didn't want to start over, I didn't want to get married, I wanted to have a family and I was afraid all those things were going to. So that desire wasn't really coming from my soul, it was coming from my mind and ego and my fears, and I was trying to force it. So it was like that Gorthbrook song on ancient prayers God was like look, dude, you know why I'm not answering your prayers.

Speaker 1: 20:15

Because if I give you what you're praying for, you're going to be freaking miserable. And because I'm divine love, I'm divine intelligence, I'm the divine source. I'm going to delay what you want because I've got something better planned for you, the delay is not a denial.

Speaker 1: 20:31

Right and I think that's so important to understand. And what I know to be true now is that when you have a desire in your heart and you are doing your part and you are aligning yourself with what you want and that's a podcast for another day, yes that and when you pray that, that's when God answers your prayers and gives you whatever you need the people, the resources, the money, the videos, the podcast, whatever you need to take you closer to what your heart desires. And as long as you keep doing your part, god will keep supporting you until it happens.

Speaker 1: 21:06

But that's very often not a straight line, because that's what we want, we want to say our prayers, we want to hit the lottery and live happily ever after, and it's just not how it works. And that's what we want to do on these podcasts is start shining light of truth, engaging these conversations to get you thinking so, because if you're at that point in your life where, as we start off with you know I'm a good person, I got a lot to offer, but I've got this problem, I got this thing that I'm struggling with and I'm praying and I'm asking but it might not meant to have it. Why isn't God, whatever you're and you're playing that mental ping pong? This is hopefully going to give you some clarity. So, before we go anything, you want to wrap it up.

Speaker 2: 21:41

Yeah, no, just you know, think about anything in your life that you really really wanted and you didn't get, and then you got something better. You know after that and you realize, oh, that's why.

Speaker 1: 21:52

Now, if you're listening to this and you're struggling, it's like you know, hey, this is resonating, it's make sense, but I'm still struggling with this. I've been praying, I've been asking. I don't understand what's going on. It doesn't make sense. That's what I call. Is you know, you're having a battle between your mind and your ego and your heart. So it's a matter of finding the truth in your heart and soul. So if that's you, you're struggling, reach out to that or me.

Speaker 2: 22:15

Yeah, reach out. All our information is always in the show description so you can find our emails, how to contact us on social media, so we're always there.

Speaker 1: 22:24

And we'll do whatever we can to point you in the right direction and support you, because you know, the whole goal is this is what we believe is we were created to be divine expressions of love and light, and it's to connect to our truth so we can be who we created to be and experience what our heart desires.

Speaker 2: 22:40

Right and God truly is love.

Speaker 1: 22:42

Yes, All right, we love and appreciate you. We'll see you next week.

Speaker 2: 22:46

All right, bye.