My friend Bert Marian, a Jew who converted to B?Hai faith, introduced me to the concept that we are all called/sent to be where we are needed most.
The Christian faith has a story of a man named Saul who persecuted Christians. One day Saul was struck blind. When he recovered he underwent a complete conversion and became the second-most important Christian figure. Ross has told us on this website of his previous life experiences. He was not persecuting Christians, but I think that he was persecuting himself. One day, illness struck Ross. Valve replacement surgery was his equivalent of being struck blind.
Ross had some talents in the computer field in this prior portion of his life. He was able to help people, but continuing on the track that he was, it seems unlikely that he would have ever reached international status as a computer technician. The Christian faith has a story of Jesus taking meager resources (loaves and fishes) and distributing them so that 5,000 people were able to eat their fill. After his valve replacement surgery, Ross was able to take his computer skills and fill the needs of thousands of people.
Ross seemed to resist this calling, though. God had to have his transportation give out, afflict him with the need for continual oxygen to make it hard to get around and even cause him to have insomnia to get him to stay at his appointed place.
The Navajo tradition has a healing ceremony called the Blessingway (or Beautyway) that lasts for nine days. As the sun arises on the Sunday morning of the last day the final blessing is given:
May there be Beauty in front of you.
May there be Beauty above you.
May there be Beauty behind you.
May there be Beauty below you.
May you always walk in Beauty, Ross.
