In the past I never really thought about that overused quote. I guess mostly I thought it was an OK quote. After IF I started seeing the world through different glasses and I was laughing so much when I found this online. Whoever created this card clearly knew what he/she was talking about LOLLLLL!!!!
I suppose what people really mean by saying "everything happens for a reason" is that everything happens for a "good" reason. I think when it comes to facing troubles or tragedies, it's a good trait of mankind to be able to find anything good coming out of any tragedies/troubles because we do need to carry on our lives after a tragedy and we do need to hold on to "something good" amongst the darkness that is threatening to suck the life out of us.
However, I don't agree that everything happens for a "good" reason. Things MAY happen for a reason, but the reason may be related to people's stupidity (for example drunk driving), people's bad choices (doing something rashly), and many other "not-so-flattering" reasons.
Then I started thinking about September 11th. I have heard stories about how some employees who worked in the Twin Towers had had a flat tyre or something else that prevented them from going to work that day and those incidents saved their lives. In that way people'd say "Oh, the flat tyre happened for a (good) reason." And yes, I do agree with that. But if you think about it, why did it happen to that particular person? Why not another one? Why does someone in particular get kidnapped and tortured to death? Why does someone in particular happen to be at the wrong time, at the wrong place? I don't believe that it all happens for "a good reason". Some things happen because of the evil in mankind.
It's a whole different thing if the person who suffers/grieves believes that everything happens for a good reason, though. I will never debate a sufferer who believes in that, 'coz it may just be his/her lifeline that carries them through whatever tragedy/tragedies in their lives.
*cross-posted with my other blog*
About a month ago or so I was feeling sick and tired. Of what? I guess the correct answer would be "the fallenness of mankind". I wasn't sick and tired of mankind per se, but just that part of mankind, including that part in myself (or maybe especially 'coz I know that part exists in myself).
I guess the trigger was when I read this online forum that talked about two different people from two different cultures and the heated debate went on and on and on. There were at least 100 "commentators", but I only found about 1/10th who were the voice of reason. Some of the commentators made me feel sick and disgusted.
It's so easy when I look at that fallen part in myself that for example if I'm struck by someone, my instinct would be to strike back. If I'm hurt, my instinct would be to fight back or to have my revenge. Maybe for different people, the "fallen" parts are different than mine. But still the fallenness exists.
I don't mean to say that I'm giving up on mankind, but I'm just saying that there are times when I just want to get away from humans 'coz the fallenness of mankind makes me sick.
I talked about this topic today with a friend and she said she thought she was the only one going mad ha ha ha...she also experienced this and she said that she also wanted to get away from people in order to "reduce" the amount of possible "negative thoughts/feelings/reactions" that come from dealing with other human beings.
However, at the other end of the spectrum, after feeling so disgusted and sick like this, I wonder why God still loves us just the way we are, despite ourselves. I mean logically thinking I know that God is love, but my human brain is wondering that after all the wickedness and ugliness that humans can do, isn't it beyond AMAZING that He still loves us? That He's sent Jesus to die for our sins? I still can't comprehend the depth of His love for us...it's WAY beyond what my human brain can understand. Having billions and billions of "children on earth" behaving the way we are many days a year...I'm THANKFUL that God is God.
