Rains Pours
Whenever things go awry, often we ask God why? Why is this happening? Why me? I have made the habit of asking “what’s the message?” I believe, and I’ve said it before, that everything happens for a reason. It’s easy to see God’s patterns in hindsight. If this didn’t happen, then this wouldn’t have happened…
Story of my life.
Oooo, watch out, that little prayer has a real stinger at it’s tail end. Yee-ouch
Uh oh, even back when I believed in God, and I was way-Catholic, even did readings up at the altar with the guy who is now your Monterey Bishop, I always had issues with predestination. Sure, pray for other folks, makes ’em happy you did and you can look ’em in the eye without lying. Well, as long as you’re a believer, that is. But pray for yourself? Argh. It’s like giving up control of yourself and your opportunities. Okay, I appeared to be way-Catholic.
Anyhow, seems as if Randie’s on the fence between the anger and bargaining grief stages. According to E.K. Ross, just two more after and ‘ol Rye-bread will be a distant memory.
I was told that if you only talk to God when you need Him, He’ll get lonely.
I agree completely, but the real chew is that it sometimes takes a year or two of clear headspace to actually see the reasoning. 🙂 In the mean time, there’s quite a while to be spent swimming with Randie in the self-pity pot. Hang in there, Randie!
The hardest part of prayer is praying for those who have made you miserable to be blessed. I feel for ya, Randie.
My mother has often expressed those sentiments since my injury in September 2004 forced me to return to Milbank from Brookings, where i had been living since graduating from South Dakota State University. (I’ve never married.) During my six weeks of recovery, she thought God was being cruel, but later she realized how wonderful it is that she and I live in the same town again.
Fingers… ain’t that the truth?!
I think it boils down to a matter of trust. I trust that God knows what He’s doing. So whatever situation I find myself, I believe that God knows the outcome and planned the “whatever” in the first place. (I cannot see the future being all mortal) So I see a lot of hindsight planning on God’s part in my life. Just as James’ Mom saw that things weren’t entirely what they seemed later on. (by the way, I hope things worked out okay, James).
Perhaps Randie will find that her situation has a good outcome… that maybe she’ll find her own strength without Ryan (should he leave)… or maybe she’ll find her true love… or something that couldn’t have happened with him there.
Stick. Pre-destination is a big ol’ crazy subject… as is free will. As I see it, God gives free will out so that we aren’t “praise robots” programmed to worship Him without feeling. But He plans for certain events that guide and teach us. I don’t think He really cares if I wear the Eddie Izzard t-shirt or the S.T.O.M.P. tee today.
On the subject of pre-destination, and going off at a slight tangent, I’m reminded of the History Monks in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels. Their job is first revealed as being to ensure that history stays on course, according to the History Books: 20,000 of them, ten feet high, with print so small that you need a magnifying glass to read it. My favourite line from that explanation is when Terry writes, “When people say, ‘It is written’, it is written here.”