Gracie and I have discussed writing a movie or series about how life choices shape the future. We would show an event, a chance meeting or a specific good/bad event and then show the paths that could have developed had that event happened differently. This is certainly not a new concept. The movie Butterfly Effect generally deals with this idea. And there are certainly other films that include this into their synopsis.
It’s interesting to think about the “Will of God”. I live in circles that tend to think that all outcomes are the will of God. We often justify lack of decision making or things not lining up well as the will of God when sometimes, it’s just human stupidity. There’s a difference between God KNOWING what will happen and his WILL for what SHOULD happen. I’m not sure if all pain and suffering are a direct result of The Fall, but, one would certainly hope so.
It would have taken roughly 15 seconds. It would have been the difference between going to a picnic and going to the hospital.
Friends of ours from the Pitt days were headed out to a family picnic. Their 6 year old was getting a little cramped with her 2, 14 month twin brothers in the house. It was a beautiful unseasonably warm Saturday in February. So, they decided to head to the park for a picnic. Dad was getting the car ready and needed to access the double stroller. Somewhere between the need of getting to the stroller and the thought of getting to the picnic. one of the 14 month old boys was caught. I’m not sure of all the details, but, the little boy was no match for a large vehicle. In an instant, the day went from joyous to utterly horrific. 2 hospitals, many prayers, many tears and unthinkable anxiety led to a mother holding her son for his last breath on earth.
Without all the details, it’s hard to understand exactly what happened. Is this God’s WILL? Or, did He just know that there would be 2 people that generally shared the same timeline for 14 months only to have one of those lines cut way short while the other continued. If 15 seconds had been spared to make sure all was ok, would there have been a picnic and a regular work week rather than hospitals and planning a funeral?
It was amazing to see the family of God come together to embrace this family, so in desperate need of comfort. It was amazing to see this family, share their hearts with a room full of 500 of their friends, some, like us, who hadn’t really been a huge part of their lives for 20+ years.
And then, as Dean and I discussed this after the funeral, we both see the possibility of some thing that “chooses them”. I doubt this story ends here. This event has the possibility of changing lives, well into the future. Yes, it will change the lives of the parents, but, they have the opportunity to use their story, their FAITH to encourage others well into the future.
For now, we mourn with and for them.
