Wednesday, April 3, 2013


Destiny

 

Have you ever had something happen to you, heard a particular phrase, or had a scene in your life play out in a way that makes you stop and think, “There’s something familiar about this”? The popular term is Deja-vu, French for ‘already seen’.

Are we predestined to follow a certain path in life? If you’re a spiritual person, it is said that God knows all of what we will do, yet we have free will. What if the path is already laid out for us? Is it possible we are just doing exactly what we are supposed to do? I think there was a movie a few years back on the subject, with Matt Damon as the star. If someone knows of it, please post. If I remember the premise correctly, he goes against the path of his life, maybe falling in love with someone he wasn’t supposed to? We’re not talking about ‘The Matrix’, where life is an illusion. What we’re talking about is destiny; our path is already laid out. We just live to fulfill it.

I have to be honest. I’ve had many instances of Deja’ Vu. Maybe it’s just my super-intelligent mind, (Yeah, right!) or my overactive imagination. (could be) Whatever it is, it makes me wonder.

Are we pre-destined for God’s plan as a whole, but can fill in the gaps with our free will? In other words, the beginning and the end are the same—no matter what—but the middle can be manipulated?  

For many years, I have refuted the concept of time travel. My philosophy was that the past is like a never ending fuse on a stick of dynamite; when the seconds tick off they burn up, gone forever. We cannot go back. And the past is like the fuse yet to be burned. Which, if you follow my logic here, is pre-destined—yet just hasn’t happened yet. Think of a straight line. Point A and point B. That is our life. Is point B pre-determined, or can we put an S-curve in it with one decision? What about a winding road with a series of decisions—good or bad? That’s where the Deja-vu comes in. Maybe our subconscious knows where we’re going. Do we really have any control over what happens in our lives? We think we are making decisions, or choices, but ‘WHAT IF’ those choices are our destiny?

Why are some people destined to be janitors, or public servants, or athletes making mega-bucks? What would the world be like if we all had the same intelligence, the same driving force to succeed, the same DESTINY? Who would clean the windows?  

For a few years now, I have felt the constant pull of a powerful force. My heart is telling me I want to be a writer. I’ve looked into writing articles, or magazine pieces, or any number of non-fiction markets—anything to get published, but my HEART keeps pulling me back to novels. Maybe I’m destined to tell a story I’m not aware of yet. My brain says I have to keep paying the bills, contributing to the future my wife and I have worked blood, sweat, and tears for. Lately, it seems as though every decision I make fights against my destiny. I’m making decisions with my mind, not my heart. I think the heart is linked to our TRUE destiny. People always say, “Go with your heart.” I’m here to tell you, the brain LIES! Go with what’s in your heart. I’ve been put here to write a story. And someday soon, I will know that story.  

Find a way to fulfill your destiny on your own terms.     

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi, James. I don't believe in destiny or predetermination. There are too many factors involved in every moment of our lives; most are not in our control. But we can find out what is in our control and make decisions. I hope you start writing that book. If you do, it will come to you sooner. Good luck.

Billy Lindsey said...

The movie was the bureau,i think.
I think God (however you choose to define that.) puts us where we need to be. puts things in our path to help us,get what we want or need. everything that has defined my life has been too coincidental to be just random happenings. i would be pretty egotistical to think i could've pulled off anything in life on my own,(i'm not that smart). As i get older the more i see the genuis in faith. Faith cannot exist without free will,and without both,whats the point? Free will is the brain,and faith is the heart. There's too much order to the universe to think fates not a part of it. That's one thing my heart and brain are on the same page with.

Jessica Ferguson said...

Jer. 17:9 states: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

I think we're here to be the human face of God and everything we do should be to His glory. That means all of us or falling short, doesn't it?

I also believe God has a plan for us--to save us and he makes that path and plan known. Because of our free will, making our own choices, thinking we know best, fullfilling the desires of our heart ourselves, we get on the wrong path. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had 3 husbands. Jim is the godliest man I know, but if I'd married him first, we'd probably be divorced. And neither one of us were on the right path when we married. We've grown and changed together.

Trying to be on the right path is why I chose to write inspirational fiction. God has yet to grant that dream so I'm trying to listen to Him. I've yet to know if the novella I sold is his plan or mine. I guess I'll find out.

God post James. BTW, I also believe it isn't for us to understand everything. But we do need to be reading our Bibles and drawing closer and closer to Him. That's the only way we'll gain understanding at all. Thanks for making me think this morning. And I'm on my way to Bible study ... seriously! :)

Jessica Ferguson said...

I SO hate it when I used wrong words. I do know or is supposed to be ARE. Doggoneit!

Ian Anderson said...

Oh, what a question. I've spent so much time debating with friends about the free will, predestination issue. I mainly agree with Jess. Watch out for the heart, listen to Him.

We understand time in a linear way, especially in the West, but not all cultures think of it that way. Madeleine L'Engle's time series challenged me to think about time differently.

I also don't think God is a micro-manager; He's in control, but He made us to make decisions, too. It's not that God knows what's going to happen, but because He's outside of time, He's already there!