Welcome to Gaia! ::

Okay. If you know me at all you know that my the primary deity I worship is Freya. Among other things, she is a Goddess of gold and material wealth. I've been having trouble in that area recently, so I've been making offerings and saying prayers on a semi-regular basis--not to become filthy rich, but just to get out of financial trouble.

I'm a fifth year senior in college and thought all my scholarship money had run out, and was wondering how the hell I was going to finish my degree, or even if I wanted to at all. I just ended two semester's worth of medical leave, and still feeling burnt out and uninspired.

Last week I learned that if I DO go back (which I now will) I'd been offered a NEW scholarship to my university that's a somewhat above what normal tuition is, in addition to other need-based financial aid. The way my school works is that they'll accept all scholarship money to cover tuition, then give you a monetary refund if there is any extra financial aid you get.

My refund, as it turns out, is...sizable. I'm not filthy rich or anything, but it's enough to invest some, keep a little in savings, pay off what I owe, and have a bit left over for spending money.

I'm interpreting this as Freya's way of telling me "I will grant your request--but YOU need to go back to school, finish up your degree, and work hard to be worthy of my gifts and blessings. I'm not granting it so you can be lazy and entitled, I'm granting it on the condition that you try your hardest to prove to yourself and to Me that you deserve it."

It's a challenge I hope I can face, I'm sure going to do my damndest to try.

The point of this is to say that sometimes blessings come true in unexpected ways, and I think maybe it's better that my prayer came true at a cost. I DO need and want to finish college, I've wanted to get a degree for years. There are classes I'm really interested in taking. Working hard for another year or so will hopefully enable me to get the job I want and the life I want. I need to get off my lazy butt and do things. That's what my Goddess respects.

In the end, prayers and offerings only go so far. Whether it's cash, a college degree, or anything else that you want or need in life, especially with a deity like Freya, you have to EARN your blessings, and in the end, you may become a better person for it.

And you know what? I think I'm perfectly fine with that. :3

-Nerdy

I'll speak from experience and say that when working with spirits they can only do so much. You still have to keep your half of the deal to make sure you get the desired outcome. It's not an "ask and you shall receive" situation with most spirits.

This isn't to speak of deities, just evoked spirits. I just thought it was relevant.

We're an instant gratification society. People expect everything for little or no effort.

Pretty much.