Clarification

I think I need to expound on my previous blog about things happening for a reason. See, the trouble with blogging is this: sometimes you're misunderstood. I think some of you came off with the impression that I was, uh, complaining, or maybe looking for sympathy, or just being negative, or lost my faith, or needed reassurance that I was gonna be OK?? Not so. I just used Tim losing his job as an example from off the top of my head. I could have just as easily used the example of me getting pneumonia a few weeks ago, or that I stubbed my big toe yesterday, or that I made spaghetti for dinner instead of hamburgers. I suppose there are consequences when blogging about personal matters - which I think I will be more cautious about in the future.

That being cleared up, let me expound a little more what I meant.

SOME things happen for specific reasons. I believe sometimes Heavenly Father has very specific blessings in store for us. But sometimes, things simply happen. And then YOU are left with some choices. Sometimes, those choices are ALL good ones. Sometimes Heavenly Father lets YOU choose what to do. Let's say (not using any specific examples) that you have choices 1 and 2. If you choose 1, then A, B, and C will happen, and they are all good things. OR you could choose 2 and then X, Y, Z, will happen, and those are also good!! So, guess what! It's up to you now! Other times there are two good choices and you can ask for divine guidance which will be better and Heavenly Father can direct towards one or the other. I know I've been in situations where I know Heavenly Father plopped me in a certain place and a certain time to do a very specific job or learn a very specific principle. I've also been in situations where He simply let me choose and didn't point me one way or the other. He, of course, knew which one I would pick, but for that particular situation, He let me decide.

We look back, after something has happened, and we can see the outcome. Like Lindsay said in her comment, hindsight is a beautiful thing! But all along the way we had choices to make which led to that specific outcome. Sometimes we are divinely guided because there is something very specific we were supposed to do or learn, and sometimes we have the opportunity to make our own choices. Either way we are blessed!

Emily, Jenica, and Krysta commented that we should look for the hand of the Lord in all we do. I wholeheartedly agree! We are always blessed, whatever our circumstances, and we should always look for those blessings. I just don't think blessings are always reasons. They are just that: blessings from our Father who loves us.

We can always be divinely guided, but sometimes that guidance is, "All are good. Choose for yourself."

Amy and Lori commented about it all being about our attitudes and reactions - very important pieces and definitely contribute to the eventual outcome.

And I love what my dear father, in all his wisdom, said about general reasons versus specific reasons. If we start looking for specific reasons for things that happen, or have happened, in our lives, it will drive us crazy.

"Can God put specific experiences into our lives to teach us a specific principle or to give us a specific insight - I absolutely believe he can and that he does. Is everything that happens in our life a specific experience designed to teach us a specific lesson? I do not believe that it is or that our existence works that way."

Yes, dad. This is what I was trying to say.

I love what Heather said in her comment about every situation can be an opportunity to learn something. And again, I say that WE have a choice to learn from it. And therefore, you are choosing the consequences of the outcome (or what some may discern as "reasons").

So - in a summary - sometimes the things we perceive as "reasons" are simply consequences of the choices we made along the way - and when looking back we see that we moved from here to there ("there" being a better place) and we say "Ohhh! THAT was the reason it happened!" When really, YOU were in charge of creating the outcome, and that there weren't any PRE-DETERMINED REASONS why something happened.

THERE! I think through the writing process I finally came across what I wanted to say all along ...

PRE-DETERMINED REASONS!!

That's better.

Side note: There was an almost overwhelming response on this subject! I've loved reading all your comments, insights, and articles about it!