It is funny how we suddenly remember God when our lives are threatened. I remember praying profusely when the plane I was traveling started to rock in very turbulent weather. I was not alone.

Someone sitting not far away from me was mumbling incoherently and his hands were clasped tightly together in prayers.

A woman next to him whipped out the holy Quran and started reading. I think it was a test to our faith. I know that because twenty minutes later, when the pilot announced that the worse was behind us, everything went to normal. The man, who I thought was a devout Muslim, ordered a stiff drink to calm his nerves. The danger was over and now he could go back to his bad old ways. He would probably not remember God again until he faces another dangerous situation. You would think an experience like that would turn one into a better person. The difference, as a friend said to me, depends on how you have learned your lesson. He nearly died when a car hit him while he was bending to pick up his shopping bags.

He laid down looking at the night sky and he could see his past flash before his eyes. He said, in that tiny space of time, he saw his sins swishing past him to point accusing fingers at him. "It was as if my whole life was packed into this horrible moment and I was forced to watch all the mistakes I had made in the past. I vowed to correct myself if I ever survived the accident," he told me.

He survived, although he now says that he is living a 'corrected life,' I have my doubts. One does not need to have a close brush to death to fall flat on one's back. When I flunked an examination during college days, I felt like I was hit by a physical blow. The flash came and I saw myself playing soccer and doing everything else besides concentrating on my studies. I also had a vision of myself as a lay about who had to scrounge for a living. Although I staged a remarkable recovery, the experience has taught me many lessons. We know that the mind packs a much bigger punch than a closed fist could ever have. The other day a younger relative called to ask me if I could pull a few strings to help him secure a job he had applied for. I said I could not because my contact had left the company.

"What would I do now?," he asked me in desperation, "There is a long list of applicants." I did not need time to think about it but said readily," just pray."

He thought I was being sarcastic. I told him again, "Pray. There is nothing you can do about it." I think he was annoyed because he put the phone down without saying goodbye. Well, I am not sure what would happen to his job hunting. Perhaps he would not get it just because he did not have the right attitude. Talking about attitude, I can recall an incident that happened sometime ago. A man, who has been overlooked for a promotion for many years, suddenly turned to God and started to pray regularly. It took a few more years but he eventually got the job he wanted. Someone sent him a card, which said, "Your prayer has been answered."

He looked at the card thoughtfully and then said, "Yes, but maybe I was due for promotion anyway." I am not sure how one would react to such attitude but this is a common reaction with many people. We abandon God when we think we don't need Him anymore. That is the worse mistake we could ever make
 

Read: Another Article by Karima Burns, written in the same spirit -

Prayer - The Most Powerful Healer