What is your metaphor?

Today I attended a very interesting workshop and there was a slot about - “My Career Path”. So, everyone was asked to draw their career path. I was enjoying myself looking at all the remarkable sketches of maps, routes, winding roads, going uphill track, and many more. Those people were very creative in presenting their experience using different symbols, drawings, icons, signages and yet we could understand almost all at just one look.

Then we were required to think of a metaphor to describe our career path. I was struggling hard to think of something within that three minutes but those people in a blink, came up with their metaphors. I was really slow. (Teringat pulak cerita ustaz tentang masyarakat kita yang confuse tak kenal diri, umpama siput babi. Bila di tanya siput babi, kenapa la kamu jalan slow sangat? Siput babi kata dia tengah confuse fikir- dia ni siput ke babi? He he, lawak kan ustaz tu!)

The next thing you know, all their metaphors were already on the wall. There were spices, flower buds, someone trudging uphill, flowing river, and many interesting objects. When asked reasons for their choice of metaphor they explained really well and yes, their choice fit their description! The best part was, at the end of everyone’s presentation, they expressed relief and gratitude and they felt that they have all been blessed! Not a soul there that I could remember, complaint about their ordeals or obstacles to be where they are now.

It is obvious that a normal human being has conscience – that innate ability to sense the presence of A Great Power that gives us all the blessings, grants all our wishes, provides all that we need, looks after us, listens to our prayers and takes good care of us. Yet, we tend to forget Him and deny His existence by doing what we are not supposed to do and not doing what we are supposed to. Sad isn’t it? Tapi, Hidayah itu Allah juga yang memberi.

Lastly, be contented even though all your journeys were in a wheelbarrow when you were not pushing it. Although you arrived, extremely late, because you stopped many times,(-you got to sniff the air, smell the flowers (or dead animal along the way), observe posh cars that just speed along, make friends, collect and drop items along the way-) You are here now, right? Some people did not make it, they had accident and that was the end.

And aren’t we heading toward the same destination? You and I?

Ya Allah, perbaikilah agamaku yang menjadi tonggak urusanku; dan perbaikilah duniaku yang menjadi sumber kehidupanku; dan perbaikilah akhiratku yang merupakan destinasi akhirku; dan jadikanlah kehidupan ini bagiku sebagai tempat untuk menambah kebaikan; dan jadikanlah mati bagiku sebagai rehat dari segala keburukan. Amin ya Rabbal alamin.