If It Hits You, It Couldn’t Have Missed You

By Dr Craig

“If It Hits You, It Couldn’t Have Missed You” were the parting words after our healing session from Dr Kirk Laman, the Sufi master/healer who is my mentor in walking the path of Sufism. The words were those of our Sufi guide from Jerusalem, Sidi Mohammed, who is the official custodian of the Holy Dome of the Rock located there. Dr Laman spoke these words as if they were the most important words that could be spoken to me at that moment. I believe that they were, and I felt their truth penetrate into my being.

This was needed medicine, because I was recently robbed by a caregiver, and because I also don’t know where money for my care and health expenses beginning at the end of July will come from. In the past, I used to use most of my time all year to fund raise the considerable money to meet my care and health needs that are not covered by government programs. I have taken a leap of faith to develop and lead THE HEALERS to help great numbers of people and to conduct innovative holistic medical scientific research. I am working on this about 60 hours/week, but the young campaign is not yet generating commerce to compensate me in the most basic way. I am trusting that God will help me make it through this transition period by moving people’s hearts to make donations, or some other unforeseen support for my basic care while I am giving everything to build THE HEALERS to serve humanity. THE HEALERS campaign is scheduled to submit its first scientific research study in July to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Hearing the Shaykh’s words of understanding showed me direction upon which I needed to focus—to trust and have faith that everything that has happened up until this point in time in my life needed to happen as it did. For those who knew me before I moved to the East Lansing area in 1988 to earn my masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at Michigan State University, there would be some astonishment that Craig Oster would ever speak such words. At the time I moved to East Lansing, I was moving towards agnosticism after having become a born-again atheist in high school circa 1980. My atheism was born during my studies with my philosophy teacher, who was also a University of Michigan professor of philosophy. Steve taught me how to think critically, and I went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in philosophy under the mentoring of three brilliant atheistic professors of philosophy.

By the time I had moved to East Lansing, I had some experiences which had me wondering if I might be mistaken in my dismissal of a more mystical view of the universe. Taoism was also resonating with me and seemed to be reasonable to me; I could sense the truth in there being an order to nature, which if connected with would create a more meaningful life. As a newcomer in town, interestingly enough, I found myself meeting all of these people in different arenas who recommended that I check out a metaphysical church called The Fellowship for Today because they sang songs that would make me feel wonderful.

This church accepted everyone, and even though I was still considering myself to be somewhere in the realms of atheism and agnosticism, I felt tremendous love from the people for who I was regardless of what I believed. Soon, I became a student of A Course in Miracles, which helped me see Jesus and God in a way that was the most believable and logically consistent that I had ever experienced. I also began to study metaphysical interpretations of the Bible. It would take many mystical experiences and much skeptical inquiry, before I would feel the reality of God deeply. I explored many religious and spiritual traditions, until I realized that the Sufi (a mystical form of Islam which is about unity, peace, love, mercy, and remembering God in the heart) path is the best path for me about 2 years ago, and one that has been healing for me. I honor and respect everyone’s spiritual path that involves dedication to love and kindness. I do believe that we would all be happier when we focus on love and kindness as what is important and not condemn each other for different religious beliefs.

Before I was put on the Sufi path, I had come to the belief that in this moment everything is perfect as it should be including any fierce determination on my part to have a powerful impact on influencing things to be different. There is a powerful peace that comes from believing that everything that has happened in my life was as it needed to be, given everything else in the universe. Sometimes, I feel this truth deeply and other times my personality will engage in judgment and fear about my situation.

“If It Hits You, It Couldn’t Have Missed You” is a statement for which I am unable to provide a logical argument, although it is my faith and I find it peace-promoting and empowering of optimal action in the Now. When I do not judge my 18 year journey with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or the fact that I now need 24/7 total care and to ask for donations while I am building and leading an organization that will help humanity and allow me to support myself, I am focused on using all of my energy to help people. Given my situation and my nonstop efforts and dedication to helping great numbers of people with my healing journey and THE HEALERS campaign’s holistic medical scientific research and education, I am praying that some readers of this article will search their hearts and feel guidance to make a donation to my care. If there is no response or a great response to my request, I will accept it as perfect and continue my efforts and prayers.