Well, it was unavoidable.

I lost a huge chunk of data from my computer yesterday.

Well, I didn’t exactly lose it… I threw it away. Not on purpose, mind you; I just got confused. I meant to do one thing when I did another, and before I knew it, it was gone.

“No problem,” you’re thinking, “just use your backups… you did have backups, right, Adam? After all, wasn’t backing up computers one of your part-time jobs many years ago?”

Well, yes, I did have a job like that, now that you remind me. And to answer your question – um, no, I didn’t have a backup. You’d think I would, though, with a job where I used to walk around, singing:

Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now my data’s gone I’m sad to say,
Oh I shoulda backed-up, yesterday…

So, after I got done trying to rescue the data _ and moaning loudly (didn’t work either)_, I drew my awareness inside, and connected my heart with the Presence of the Divine.

Two messages came to my heart. They were:

• “No Worries, Life Goes On”, and
• “al-Jabbar.” (yes, as in, Kareem Abdul Jabbar.)

Allow me to explain.

No Worries, Life Goes On”: Of course it does. And hey, I didn’t lose everything, I still have my health, and no one got hurt. In the grand scheme of things, this was a pebble on the shore.

*“Al-Jabbar”:* Those in the Sufi tradition tend to relate to the Divine in two primary ways.

• First, the Divine is One. Oneness. Indivisible, just like in the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Second, the Divine is known to us in a multitude of ways… namely, the ways we witness the Divine’s movement through creation.

For example, the name, ar-Rahman (The Beneficent; all the goodness in Creation), ar-Rahim (The Merciful; any act of kindness and mercy), al-Karim (The Generous; pretty obvious, there), and, in this case, al-Jabbar (The Irresistible).

“Irresistible” is in the sense of “compelling,” and, as Neil Douglas-Klotz says in the Sufi Book of Life, ”[it] compels us to wonder at Allah’s creation and to surrender to the power behind it.”

And in the words of Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal, “Al-Jabbar is the One Whose will overrides everything. Know that nothing that strikes you could have missed you.”

I love that last line. The perfection alluded to in it brings a peace to my heart in times such as these. Lost data, four more years of W, tsunami – pick the impact – there is a perfection in all of it.

“Stuff” happens

We may struggle with the form of things, but only because it doesn’t fit our pictures of what we want. I didn’t want to lose that data, but I did. “Stuff happens”, as they say, and no one wants it to happen to them, obviously. But here’s the gem:

Ask me (or anyone) to simply let it go, and you’re likely to get kicked in the shins.

When all the world’s paths preach non-attachment in one form or another (asceticism, ‘turn the other cheek’, etc.), why would “let it go” be both perfect advice, and the hardest thing to do in the moment? Are we meant to struggle against our natural reactions? Are we supposed to try not to feel what we feel?

Hardly. But aye, here’s the rub:

As long as you are witnessing the world of things, the idea of letting go is too painful. When your focus is on what happened, i.e. the “form” of things, then that’s all you can see.

Ever notice how often you replay the moments in your mind once something traumatic has happened? As long as you stay on the human level with it, you will feel stuck, isolated, and in reaction.

Freedom (non-attachment, letting go) comes when you are witnessing the Divine Reality, instead of yours. If you can make the shift to seeing what went on (or what’s going on) from a more connected perspective, it often helps you come to peace with it.

Here’s how you do that:

1. Look at what happened, or is happening. See it in its full color detail, feel what you feel. Be completely present with your experience of the situation.

2. Now, invoke the Name of the Divine – and feel free to use whatever Name you use for this. If you want to focus on the perfection of things, you could even try saying “al-Jabbar”. [Side note: al-Jabbar has many translations, including, “The Irresistible”, “The Compeller”, and “Comforter of the disheartened.” Neat, huh?]

3. Keep being present with what you feel while you let your Remembrance expand your perspective. Through your focus on the Name, more of what is going on, on more levels than you can be aware of through your own perspective, will start to open up for you.

These sometimes come as images, feelings of “rightness” or peace, or you may even hear messages. Be as open as you can to whatever is made available for you.

4. You’ll notice that even though perhaps nothing of the outside reality changed, your relationship to it can change dramatically. Why? Because you are now more connected with the inner threads of perfection in everything.

Many times, reconnecting to the knowledge that God is holding everything, that all is in the perfection of Oneness, that there truly is Divine Order) puts the reactive parts of us at ease.

This is a great practice anytime you are in reaction to the world around you, or are needing the benefits of a deeper connection with your Creator. It is also a beautiful practice to share with a client or a friend in need.

It may not bring your lost data back, but at least it’ll ease it’s passing!