God's Plan

Human eyes and human minds will always see and think of things differently as God does. We always say that things happen for a reason and it's "God's plan" for us. When we fall down the stairs, we'll justify that it was God's plan for us so we'll know next time not to text while going down a flight of stairs so we won't miss a step. When we fail an exam, we'll think that it was God's plan for us so we'll study harder next time. When we lose someone, we'll convince ourselves that it's God's plan for us so we can move on to someone better.

But, after a few heartfelt conversations with wiser people, Bible reading, and prayers, I understand now that God doesn't intend for us to get hurt in any way. No sadistic parent would want that for their child. It's not in His plan for us to hurt people intentionally or unintentionally. It's not in His plan for us to get hurt. It is the consequences of the choices we pursue and the decisions we make, as humans, that hurt us. Free will does that to us. The miracle, however, is that God is able to use these circumstances, these "wrong" decisions, to His [and eventually our] advantage. We learn from experience. We get more attuned to His voice. So, the next time we're faced with similar situations, we're able to discern properly what to do.

So, the next time we fall down the stairs, hurt someone, or get hurt, it's not necessarily what God wants for us. Have faith however that:

All things work together for good to those who love God --Romans 8:28