Do you believe in predestination? I don't want to, but I keep coming back to the subject and mulling it over.
I was getting a haircut today, and Kristin was talking about this. She believes that you are put on earth for a purpose, that we have something to learn from the situations we find ourselves in. It rather reminded me of the "Quantum Leap" series on TV.
I asked her if she believed that we had any control over the direction of our lives, and she said yes. She felt that it was possible for us to take the easy path and learn our lesson pleasantly, or we could fight it, and learn the lesson the hard way.
I don't know if I agree with her that we are here to learn something, but I do believe that we choose the direction of our lives. Our environments have a huge affect on our choices, but we can still choose the paths we take. If you are in an abusive relationship, you can walk away. If you have been raised in a ghetto, you can choose to study and find a better way of life. It's harder to walk away from those you love, but if the situation is harmful to you, you can walk away.
Most of us tend to fear the devil we don't know, more than the devil we do know. We're slow to make changes because we could make things even worse. "Out of the fat, and into the fire." How many of us worry that we will make a bad choice? Sometimes those choices remind us of the story about "The Lady or the Tiger."
DH seems to make the right choice at the right time. We built a home, and it's been threatened again and again with disastrous situations. The farm across the street was zoned for light industry, and they could have built an asphalt plant there. The Illinois Dept. of Transportation wanted to put a freeway through here just after we built. Then, the people who owned the land 500 yards away wanted to build a drug and alcohol rehab unit.
The truth is....the farm across the street was purchased by the forest preserve, the freeway idea was dropped due to the cost of purchasing the land, and the rehab center was dropped when the entire neighborhood came together to protest. Each time, I worried myself sick....and each time he told me not to worry.
DH began as a construction laborer, and now he owns his own business. On the surface, it looks as though his childhood didn't contribute anything to this success, but perhaps it gave him the resiliancy and self-reliance to accomplish all this. Or, perhaps he was intended to be successful, despite his surroundings.
Despite his success, I know he'd rather be sailing the seven seas.
Are you on the path of your choice? If not, what's keeping you from it?
Comments (8)
I guess to some degree I believe in this, due to the fact, I've had more than my share of calls to "close to death experiences". I believe, from personal experience, more than what I was taught to believe, I AM here for a purpose. Have I figured out what that purpose is yet, well hellooo, you know me well, NOT!!!! I guess my closest call to death was the plant fire, that made national news in 91' I believe, the chicken plant!!! I should have died in that fire, but due to a headache and a phone call, I survived!!!! Hense why I to date, I hate chicken!!! I lost 10 life long friends in that fire, one whom I knew since I was in diapers, it was a life altering experience for me. However, what I remember most about that day, as a single mother, all I could think about was Q14, making sure he was safe, the memory of my daddy running past a police baraciade when seeing me; with tears in his eyes; just to hold me and praise God his baby was alive, and my mama, her voice over an ambulance phone when my best friend grabbed me, held me and made sure my mama who was at work teaching 6th grade, unappreciative children, that "her baby" was still alive!!!! There are life altering events in one's life one NEVER forgets!!!!! This was just one of them for my family I'm afraid to say!!!
I don't say this often, however, I'm on the path of choices in my life, my marriage and children along with my friends are what make me whole ~ I know on many different levels I'm here for a reason ~ but it is like the comic says ~ "Be Paticent God Isn't Finished With Me Yet" ~
Things happen for a reason, I truely believe that, how we deal with the issues is what makes us, well "individuals"...and poor whatever spiritual sector *however you spell it* reads this....we are all here for a reason, unfortunatlly we just don't know yet WHAT reason.........
Posted by Jamie | July 20, 2003 3:20 AM
Posted on July 20, 2003 03:20
Ok. I have posted about this before. I do believe that there is a general 'plan' for us. We all are given talents. However, we are also given choices as you say and can modify this 'plan' in many ways. The talents that we are given do not have to be developed by us. We can bury them.
In my case, I choose medicine as my career. It involved a number of years of study. I did not put my head down on a pillow the night before my final exams and hope that the Lord would give me divine inspiration to wake up a doctor the following morning. I had to damn well do what was necessary to achieve this end point.
I could have chosen to become a beach bum, (sounds inviting sometimes when you think about it), and live hand to mouth, smoke ganja, impregnate many women and be a worthless Father, but I chose not to.
Having said that I feel that there is a 'plan' for us, as none of us really knows what life has in store for us, I live by the philosophy that we ought to aim to live life to the fullest, as if each day were our last.
Posted by Dr. D. | July 20, 2003 9:04 PM
Posted on July 20, 2003 21:04
so...would you say that there is a destination planned for each of us, and that how we get there is our choice? I can deal with that scenario, but I have a lot of trouble with the idea that I might be predestined to have MS or have a child die, or something dreadful. If you believe in a loving God (and I do), why would he put us through those trials and tribulations?
Kristin felt that we are here to learn something, that we have been put here because we have failed to learn that lesson previously. I don't know that I agree with her.
As you can tell.....I'm a work in progress, and the progress has been slow.
Posted by Buffy | July 21, 2003 10:53 AM
Posted on July 21, 2003 10:53
This sounds like Natty's type of discussion. I'll see if she'll write up her opinions on the matter...
Posted by Mad Bull | July 21, 2003 11:06 AM
Posted on July 21, 2003 11:06
First off, I think that we choose where we are BEFORE we come here to earth. Also, the "mistakes" we make are necessary for spiritual growth. And as for making wrong choices, we all have the "gut feeling" which choice to make.
Posted by Natty | July 21, 2003 11:32 AM
Posted on July 21, 2003 11:32
Natty, I've never heard it suggested before that we CHOOSE who or what we want to be when we are born. Why would a person choose a life as a starving African, or one in a body that has a fatal illness? Do you believe we make those choices because they bring us a lesson we have yet to learn?
Is this the opposite of predestination, or are we still on a track that is guided by a greater being?
I'm glad you visited, and hope you'll tell me more about what you believe.
Posted by Buffy | July 21, 2003 5:03 PM
Posted on July 21, 2003 17:03
In reference to believing in a Loving God ~ what is the saying God doesn't give us anything we can't handle as well as he doesn't prevent bad things happening to us as it is to cause us according to the bible, spiritual growth, closer to him ~
However, I also agree with Natty, I believe our life is choosen before we are ever born and the mistakes made in this life are lessons we didn't learn before. I do have a friend whom would have some great ideas on this topic, however, she doesn't come online much I may just have to stear her to this blog area when I'm over there working!!!
Posted by Jamie | July 22, 2003 10:50 PM
Posted on July 22, 2003 22:50
Jamie, Natty said that WE choose where we are. Did you agree with that, or do you believe that God chooses for us?
There's a book I want to read: "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People." Perhaps it might help me understand what you're saying about learning from mistakes.
Posted by Buffy | July 23, 2003 9:48 AM
Posted on July 23, 2003 09:48