I want to send you a dear quote to me regarding salvation, I hope my English translation works good :
\"- What do you say, man? Do you want me to tell you briefly that regarding SALVATION doesn't matter the place you live in, but the way in which you behave, and wear your will?
I'm telling you that Adam was in heaven as in a port, and he was drowned; Lot was in Sodom, like in the sea and he was saved; Job stood on the trash and was entitled; and Saul was in the midst of wealth and he lost his kingdom - on the here and the beyond. You can not defend by saying: \"I can not be both in the world, surrounded by things, and also me perfunctory\". (SF.IOAN Chrysostom) \"
I like from this quote that no matter where you live in this world you can be SAVED or not, because of your behaviour, we can be lost living in heaven and in the same time we can be saved living in SODOM, it all depends on us, if God gives you more He will ask for more from you, if He left me in an orthodox country He is asking according to my condition, and also he helps the others struggling in more difficult conditions. You see, we here in Romania receive so many miracles done by orthodoxy that we find it easier to keep the faith (people with ultimum phase of cancer getting healthy by praying to a holy icon, or demonized people living happy after exorcisations and so on), but you, living where orthodox miracles are so far and still believe in orthodoxy, you'll receive much help from God when time will come. God tells that \"you will be hate by people for My name, but he who keep his faith up to the end he will be saved.\"
To me works daily prayer in the night, I pray for forgivness (I'm not a saint either), I remember in my prayers all my big sins and small, I pray for forgiveness of my parents, of the one dead from my family (grandparents and grandgrandparents - each of them by their names - if they are forgiven my cross will also be easier to wear by me), then I pray and ask what I need in my life, health, SALVATION for me and my family, to get rid of all the bad people from my life and all the bad things, to have a christian family, understanding and so on), I also go each Sunday (almost) at the church), and confess to my father each 2 or 3 months (almost) and take communication (this helps me a lot) - I had a time when I was not allowed to take It and it was a hell in my life, I never want to loose it again, only a person who could not take the communication for years can make the difference and tell how powerful it is.
I also try to be good, to not judge \"don't judge and you will not be judjed\" or \"with the measure you measure others, God will measure you\", to help anyone I can, to be good (sometimes I can't but I try at least). And I don't let a day passing and not reading a page from the New Testament and little from an orthodox book, this \"keeps my mind in hell and I don't loose my hope\" - letting a day passing and not reading makes my heart cold little by little (in orthodoxy). And I go as a pilgrim 2-3 weeks per year to some nice monastries and pray and breath orthodox air :), this gives me a lot of power. And I all the time dring holy water and have it in home and call the priest at my home and give prayers to monastries (St Liturgi for alives and deaths in my family and Acatist).
This doesn't take you more than 30 minutes per day or 1 h but keeps you connected to orthodoxy and in time you'll find the answer to your question also :).
God bless you !
Sofia
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