Everything happens for a reason

Sure, you may not be anywhere special right now, but you're here nonetheless. Retrace your entire life to see how you got here.

Was about a block from home on Wednesday, stopped at the final stoplight before I get to my neighborhood. I saw the little truck pull out of the gas station probably before that oncoming driver did. Pop! The two vehicles collided. Just a fender bender, but still quite a shock to see.

I've been in only a few minor accidents, similar to Wednesday's collision. I always wonder if I'd just waited a few more minutes to leave, would I have avoided the accident entirely? What could I have done? Nothing. Because I didn't know what the future holds, and everything happens for a reason.

I've seen some pretty bad car wrecks before. Many of the ones I covered as a newspaper reporter were fatal accidents, with the lifeless, mangled bodies either still a part of death's twisted metal sculpture – or covered by white sheets no longer white. Those sights are traumatic, but they leave out one detail: the sounds of the wreck. The hard impact of metal against metal, pavement or utility pole. The shattering of glass. The screams of people involved. The moans of the wounded afterward. Plus, before help arrives by way of paramedic or good samaritan bystander, there is a silence that is so silent it's rarely heard. Like the world stops. When someone dies, maybe it is a moment of silence to let the soul escape the physical world. Maybe it's because sudden, tragic death is still shocking and is cause for pause. Those sounds were gone by the time I got there, replaced by sirens, conversation and the spinning of the world. Having witnessed or lived through a few minor wrecks, I can only imagine how much worse serious ones sound.

Everything happens for a reason.

I say that knowing full well that such a statement is not appropriate to tell someone who is grieving. I never want someone to say that to me in my darkest hour. The loss of life is still real, no matter who planned it. But in my heart I know one thing is true.

God is in control. In the end – and to those who believe in God or a higher power – everything happens for a reason. While it seems like a loss of control over one's own life, really, it's a release. God is in control of my life. I'm in His hands. I accept His infinite wisdom, His guidance, His protection. Whatever happens is a part of His plan. Does that mean I'm better than anyone else? No, if anything, I am humbled by the realization that I'm a sinner and needed salvation.

Politics, rhetoric, angry people of all sorts overshadow the true purpose of being a Christian. I can understand how people can doubt, or how faith is hard when you can't see the hands of God at work. Or when the people you see who call themselves Christians are complete hippocrits. I admit struggling with outward displays of my faith – I haven't been to church as regularly as before and I'm not participating in many mission-related activities. But I'm no less of a Christian because once I've accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, that salvation cannot be revoked. Says so in the Bible.

In my heart I know I've seen His work. I've seen how a life can change under His love, protection and guidance. Don't think Christianity is about getting to heaven alone. It's also about one's journey on Earth. Becoming a Christian doesn't make life suddenly perfect, but it has the potential to affect one's life positively in nearly every aspect. It's the journey and the destination. Even Christians have to make daily choices about right or wrong; we are all too weak to avoid sin on our own. That's what Jesus Christ is here for. I struggle, but He's still with me.

I felt the need to touch on Christianity a bit. We are all given the right to choose what we believe; to me that's a God-given right. Some choose to reject Him, and while I imagine He's not pleased with that, it's how we were designed. I'm not writing this to guilt you into anything.

At any rate, if you've read to the end of this post, remember that everything happens for a reason. Everything you've ever done has gotten you to this final paragraph. And at the least, I hope it made you think. Are you looking for something in your life? Do you feel empty on the inside? Do you live in fear? Science continues to look for answers to these and other basic questions about life. The answers are available to you free of charge. Sadly, in our world today, you've got to dig for those answers. But everything happens for a reason.

Have a safe and happy weekend, my friends.