There is so much out of our control in some ways, but in other ways it is built off of both our core values and basic attitudes. And on one hand, I know I live in a space and time that were chosen for me, but I also know that I have had choices about how to respond to it all. I’ve seen people with nearly identical situations turn out differently. I’ve seen others with vastly different starts end up in pretty much the same place as me. So while I am surprised by some of the experiences and opportunities I’ve had, I’m not exactly shocked.
Even though I have had choices, I know that it is by grace and power beyond me that I have been guided as I have. No one can seriously think that life is made up of simple will power. Nor is there a randomness to it. Being beyond our control and ability to foretell is different than being uncontrolled or capricious. It seems arrogant to say that just because we humans don’t understand all or can’t contain important forces that it is meaningless or mean-spirited.
I thought it would be fun to list things in a couple categories:
- things totally unexpected
- things unexpected, but built off of related things
- things expected
The is no reason for the order in which things are listed. It is brainstorming –
Totally Unexpected:
- living in Taiwan for almost 9 months
- getting a tattoo
- learning to edit video into movie
- getting to travel to places like Italy and Florida and Zambia and Hawaii and Mexico and Costa Rica
- having chickens
- having a mobile phone or computer (that was just science fiction)
Unexpected, but Built off of Related Things:
- running barefoot (always liked to run)
- going out dancing regularly (I’ve always loved to dance, just never thought I’d go out to do it as regular weekend diversion)
- learning Chinese (I’ve always wanted to learn a language, just didn’t expect it to be this one.)
- writing a book (a dream that I thought was truly a fantasy, but I’ve always been writing “something.”)
- have my own swimming pool (I thought they were too much trouble and not so useful)
- investing in the stock market (I was taught to be frugal, but didn’t know about investing)
- enjoying economics (but I always had a sense the politicians were not being honest about things)
- throwing off the shackles of man-made, self-serving authority structures in both politics and religion (why do some people think they get to decide things for other people?)
Things Expected:
- having several children
- staying married to the same person
- having a garden
- sewing
- learning to crochet, even though I “had” to wait a long time for it
- writing
That’s all I can think of for now, but maybe I’ll come back and add to the list later as things occur to me. This list is basically about positive things. There has also been unexpected hardship and heart ache, but not really totally unexpected after all, for that is part of life for everyone. We just don’t know how our particular hardship will be packaged. Regardless, there is joy to be found in the journey, because God always provides at least one person to love us through the hard times, whether it be husband, sister, or friend, or even newcomer. What do your lists look like? Where have your trails led you?
