As I get older, I have spent some time pondering scriptures and searching out anecdotes and articles about what the after world would be like. Would we be assigned to be in a place with the same type of people? Would the people who hurt us and wrong us on a daily basis be there? Would the people that we love and miss dearly be there? Who would be there and how would I feel? Would I have the torment that this world brings? Or would it really be a place of peace. Unfortunately, there is not much information on the subject and nobody has ever come back from the dead to tell us what it the afterlife is like.
The realization hit me this last week during my Wood Badge course that Heaven would be much like Wood Badge, where you have a body of people who are all like-minded. Like-minded as in those people who have the same values. If you are honest, hardworking and friendly, those will be the people you will be with. Maybe in a lesser section of the after-life will be those who maybe are not so nice. If you are not honest, rude and have lots of bad habits then those are the people you will be with. But I don't think both worlds will be together.
Wood Badge teaches people to work together and find common ground, without argument, and without judgement. Never once have I been spoken to harshly or rudely. All the staff and participants have been encouraging, positive and they get along. If there are differences they are respected and people are not bothered by it but have learned to use it to their advantage.
The realization of this really hit home after the first day back from the first half of Wood Badge when I encountered a tense situation that got out of hand. It was the same argument that has happened most of my life and I always wonder why it happens. I don't want to go into any more detail on that one but its very depressing and having not had to feel that way for the last four days was nice.
The second day after Wood Badge, I had an emergency situation with a patient who was on the brink of losing an eye. Due to a miscommunication she ended up seeing a different specialist than what I was used to. He was very belittling and rude both to her or me. As I battled through the day this affected me as more and more emergency eye situations built up. Doubt was creeping in and I had to fight it to keep it away. I certainly will not use him again. It happened to be one of the busiest days I have encountered this week and it didn't help that I and a lot of other people were having a bad day. I am not sure why some people just have to find the bad in everything and then rub it around in your face and stomp on it. Anyway, that is not how Wood Badge is, but the complete opposite with joy and peace. That is why I can compare it to Heaven.
Switching subjects now. The other realization I had at Wood Badge was how information as well as inspiration is transferred to participants. We have been preparing for this Wood Badge course for months now and some of the senior staff even longer. When you are prepared the Lord can now use you for an instrument to affect those you are teaching.
Take a light bulb. Say you have a bulb in a lamp sitting on a table but there is no cord connected to the bulb. You can imagine if you flip the light switch, the light will not turn on. In order for it to turn on there has to be something to carry that electricity to the bulb. The same goes for water. If water did not go through a hose you could not direct it to the tree or bush or lawn you want to water.
As we prepared for our Wood Badge course it was like we were building that cord to create that connection, only not to a light bulb, but to the light within another human being. With preparation and knowledge the Lord can work through us as a conduit to another person. I believe this is how the Lord touches each and every individual at Wood Badge. At times the air feels electric as the concepts and ideas are presented and then accepted. It is not our knowledge that the participant gets, but the transfer of knowledge along with the spirit of the Lord. The great thing about that is the Lord knows each and every person and what he or she needs to grow at that moment. He can send that inspiration and he uses different people and methods to do that. But in order to do that we have to put ourselves in that path and be willing.
Aimee wanted us to keep track of any heart connections we made with people on course. I have made a dozen probably. As a scribe I did not think I would do much to help change lives, but apparently the Lord had different ideas. He put those people in my path that he wanted me to meet. I am grateful for each and every one of the participants as well as each and every staff person on course.
Last thought, is this conduit is not a one way conduit, but it can go both ways. I have felt inspiration and had my light click on from many a thing another person said or did,whether it was a staff member or participant. There is a wealth of knowledge at Wood Badge. Please don't miss it next time around. I look forward to the next few days and know that there will be much more of this transfer of knowledge and inspiration.
I put a few photos of some of the inspiring moments at last week's Wood Badge.
