Through The Mists. Translated into Simplified “Modern English”. Chapter Ten. An Explanation.

I vividly remember the mix of fearful excitement and nervous bravery I felt as a child when searching for curiosities washed up by the incoming tide. I would wade barefoot in the shifting waters along the beach, eager to discover hidden treasures. I’m sure I played out every possible childish act of heroism during these adventures, though there were certainly moments when I would retreat in a hurry, startled by an approaching wave stretching just a little farther than the last. Hope and fear, success and failure, joy and disappointment all alternated in my experience—until, drenched with sea spray and shivering from the cold, my guardian would carry me away from my escapades, my hands holding barely enough treasure to be guilty of petty theft.

This stage of my new life felt very similar. Once again, I found myself beside a vast sea—this time, the infinite sea of the spirit world. Wave after wave of revelation came crashing in, breaking against the rocks of my ignorance, drenching me in a blinding spray of knowledge.

The overwhelming force, the rapid succession, and the sheer magnitude of what I was experiencing left me no time to grasp and retain the treasures that were momentarily revealed before me. Strange and unexpected sights, sensations, and sounds flooded my awareness in an unending stream, leaving me bewildered and struggling to process it all.

I had been told that it was all love—that love was at the heart of it all—and that soon I would understand and appreciate it. But in that moment, I felt like someone thrown into deep water without knowing how to swim. The waves and the tide were against me.

I tried to apply the lessons I had been given, but in my inexperience and inability to immediately absorb what was happening, I found myself floundering, battling against the overwhelming flood of new knowledge—sometimes filled with hope, sometimes gripped by doubt.

This was, honestly, my state of mind during this brief but intense period. Events of such unexpected and previously unthinkable nature were unfolding so rapidly that I had no time to pause and reflect. With a nature prone to doubt and haunted by gloomy apprehensions, I found it impossible to maintain the perfect calm and confidence that I had been told I should aim for. Instead, I stood in awe, struggling to keep up with the staggering revelations around me.

There is a common belief among people that simply by dying, we instantly gain all knowledge and solve every mystery "in the twinkling of an eye." But I felt deep gratitude when I discovered that this idea was completely false.

The more I experience, the more astonished I am that such an absurd assumption ever existed or was accepted by intelligent people. Every question I asked, every scene I witnessed, and every sound I heard had its own unique lesson to reveal. The waves of new understanding came so quickly that before I could fully grasp one, another was already overwhelming me with its grandeur. This remains true now just as it was in the beginning.

What would have happened to me if all the knowledge I have gained so far—let me assure you, I have only scratched the surface of what is still to be learned—had been dumped on me all at once like a thunderbolt the moment I first opened my bewildered eyes on that hillside, struggling to answer the simple question: "Where am I?" Do not be deceived God always provides for us according to our needs. He understands our limitations and has designed our growth in a way that allows us to expand at the right pace, in a manner that magnifies His greatness and love.

Knowledge can only be acquired as we develop the ability to absorb each new truth.

It has no power, no meaning, and no energy unless it is applied. If someone were to gather knowledge without the necessary strength to use it, they would only end up building a structure so heavy that it would collapse and crush them under its weight.

The strength to handle knowledge can only come through steady growth. Even if it were possible to gain all knowledge instantly "in the twinkling of an eye," that method could never give a finite being the strength to grasp the infinite. Instead, this strength must be developed gradually, through transforming our lives to reflect the life of Christ. And as we continue to grow in His likeness, we expand further into the character and nature of God.

When we experience a major surprise, I believe it's the shock and our lack of time to fully process it that makes us feel like this latest event is the most significant moment in our lives. That was exactly how I felt as I stared at the motionless form lying at my feet, while Cushna and Azena showed no urgency in disturbing her.

I tried, but failed, to reconcile the painful scene I had just witnessed with the one law of love that I had been assured governed everything in this life. The question was too deep, too complex for me to understand, and I had no choice but to set it aside until I could gain enough experience to unravel the mystery.

While I was troubled and confused, my two companions calmly watched over the unconscious Marie. Clearly, there was something for them to do, but the right moment for action had not yet arrived. Now was the time for patience, so they waited, prepared to help when needed. When that moment finally came, they tended to her with great care and sympathy, performing their role with deep understanding.

Before Marie’s tear-filled eyes opened again, we had already resumed our journey, leaving her in the care of the friend she had come to trust.

I had originally planned to ask Cushna about many things when we returned—how the mysterious dew changed the colour of our clothes, how he was able to navigate so easily through a land with no clear paths, and a dozen other questions that had crossed my mind. But I forgot them all. Now, I had only one pressing concern, and as soon as I could, I asked him:

“Cushna, tell me—how can you reconcile your one law of love with the terrible scene I just witnessed?”

"I understand why you're struggling with this," Cushna replied, "and I'll try to explain. Always remember that life is a process of growth—a gradual transformation from what we are into what we will become, shaped by the lessons of every experience we go through. What seem like sudden changes are actually just the visible effects of long-unfolding causes, often unnoticed until they finally reveal themselves. All development moves from the inside outward, but we naturally struggle to accept as real anything we can't directly observe.

"In nature, we rarely find sharp dividing lines. The darkest night gradually transitions into the brilliance of a cloudless morning. An inexperienced eye might not detect the exact moment when the tide stops ebbing and starts flowing. You cannot see a flower's petals unfold, yet the process is happening even as you watch. The same is true of spiritual growth—it unfolds, never leaps; it moves forward like a steady stream, never bounds like a startled animal. Its progress is slow and continuous, only becoming apparent at certain stages.

"Marie’s journey has followed this same pattern. I can't fully describe, nor could you yet understand, the long process by which she has been led away from the agony in which I first found her. A small remnant of that suffering is what you have just witnessed. In time, you will gain firsthand experience of this when you take part in similar work. For now, let me explain why asking her to recount her story is not in conflict with the law of love.

"To retain our individuality, we must always remember our past—our mistakes and the harm we have done.

The scars of our wrongs will never completely disappear. But once we have faced and paid for them, they will stop causing us pain. The wounds heal, the suffering fades, but the scars remain as a reminder."

"Marie has now reached the healing stage, and each time she tells her story, it’s like applying a new bandage to her wound—painful in the moment but ultimately beneficial. Every time she recounts it, the agony lessens, and the exhaustion it brings helps her fall into a sleep that restores her strength. This rest is essential for her progress. Without it, she would be content to stay where she is—relieved to be free from intense suffering but lacking the energy to move forward. What you just witnessed is actually a wise process that helps her let go of the pain of the past and continue toward a happier state."

"But couldn’t she accomplish the same thing just by talking to Azena?" I asked.

"No, not in the same way. Besides, nothing here is wasted—everything serves a purpose. This experience has also been a valuable lesson for you, just as it has been for others before you, and it will continue to help others in the future when she tells her story again. In this way, she is actually becoming a source of healing for others, even as they help her in her own recovery.

"Also, until now, she has only had Azena for companionship, and she mustn’t become too dependent on her. If she only talks to Azena, she won’t feel the need to connect with others. Each visitor she receives sparks new interests, so that when Azena eventually leaves—once Marie no longer falls into deep sleep after telling her story—she will feel the weight of loneliness enough to seek out new friendships among those who are already in a slightly happier place than she is now."

"And how long will all of this take?" I asked.

"That depends—it varies for each person. But usually, the healing process takes about as long as the time spent in suffering."

"Do you know how long Marie was in that state?"

"Yes," Cushna replied. "As I told you before, it lasted about twenty years."

"Twenty years! What a nightmare! What a terrible experience! I wish she could shout this warning to everyone on Earth. My soul burns with a desire to go back and impress these truths upon my fellow men. It’s unbearable to think how blind they are to these awful realities. I want them to know—really know—that nothing but a life of goodness, sacrifice, and noble deeds can shape their future here. I want to tell them that every wrong must be repaid, and by the very person who committed it. That there’s no escape, no shortcut—every soul must work out its own salvation. If they understood this, it would spark a transformation that would finally bring about the fulfillment of God’s will on Earth, just as it is done in heaven."

My companion didn’t interrupt me. He simply walked beside me with a quiet, knowing expression—a mixture of amusement and regret. When I finished, he replied in his usual calm, measured tone:

"There are thousands—millions—of friends here who have felt exactly as you do now. But when they finally got the chance to act on their noble intentions, they encountered the same reality that you, too, will soon experience.

"First, you will not be believed. People will doubt your identity, and you will have to fight a long, frustrating battle just to prove you are truly a messenger from this life. Then, even after you’ve convinced a few, they will demand endless signs and wonders—not out of faith, but to satisfy their curiosity.

"When you’ve done all this, and your heart is burning to begin your true work, someone new will appear, and the whole process will start over again. They will insist that you go through all the proof again for the benefit of the newcomer.

"This is the exhausting cycle in which they try to trap our work, and we must be extremely careful not to drive them away before we even have the chance to plant a single seed of truth."

"When you attempt this mission, you will quickly find that many people will claim to know more about this life than you do. Be prepared to be contradicted and corrected in everything you say. Some will even generously and repeatedly tell you that the truths you are trying to share sound suspiciously like deception from the realms of darkness—simply because they contradict their existing beliefs.

"Let me offer you some advice: don’t get too carried away with enthusiasm for your mission to Earth. The vast majority of people prefer to delay any real understanding of this life until they arrive here themselves.

"But for now, I want to shift your focus to other experiences."