Chance shapes the vast majority of life. The time, place, culture, family, body, brain, and biochemistry we are born into, the people who cross our path, the accidents that befall us — these dwarf in consequence the sum total of our choices. Still, our choices are the points of light that flicker against the opaque immensity of chance to illuminate our lives with meaning. — Maria Popova.
Chance undeniably lays the foundation of our existence. The era, location, culture, family, physical being, cognitive makeup, and inherent biochemistry we inherit; the individuals who enter our sphere; the unforeseen events that punctuate our days – these factors wield an influence that far outweighs the cumulative effect of our deliberate actions. Yet, it is within this vast, often opaque landscape of chance that our choices emerge as vital sparks of light, illuminating our individual journeys with purpose and significance.
As Maria Popova eloquently states, while chance molds the contours of our lives, our choices ultimately steer their direction. Consider the bright young man whose decision to embark on a mission trip to Africa irrevocably alters his life trajectory. Or the retired professional who chooses to pen a novel, impacting countless readers through her narrative. Even my own life bears witness to this interplay: it was chance that guided my wife’s footsteps past the law school that spring afternoon, but it was our conscious choice, day after day, that wove the tapestry of our fifty-year partnership.
Looking back, I acknowledge choices that I now regret. However, life’s enduring lesson has been that even missteps can merely divert us onto an alternate, perhaps unexpected, path. It makes me ponder if there’s a divine hand at play, perhaps shaping our initial conditions and inherent nature, then observing, “Let’s see what Webb makes of this.” What remains a profound conviction is the unwavering nature of divine love and grace. As Dostoevsky so powerfully reminds us, “No one can commit so great a sin as to exhaust the infinite love of God.”
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