Choice, Chance, and Charges

Today, those who applied for Olympic Games tickets will discover if they have been at all successful. Their choice was to apply - and over 1 million people did make that choice. But then an element of chance takes over - as they are very unlikely to get exactly what they have applied for. Those allocating tickets may have had some system to deciding how they choose who gets what - but from the receiving end, it may look like a blind chance. And then of course, those who are successful in their bidding for tickets will discover today how much their actions will cost - as bank accounts or credit cards will be charged.
I am struck by how this process seems to be an illustration of how life appears.
We make choices - but we do not always get exactly what we choose. At times, from our side, it seems as though there is an element of chance in how things turn out. At the same time, some see the hand of Providence or God behind how things are. And all through life, we are paying either for our choices or for those of others. There is a charge to the game of life.
St. Paul writes about these issues in his letter to his friends in Rome. 'And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together[b] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the first-born among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8.26-29)
All through our lives, God has been nudging us to make the right choices. It is by His Spirit that we get the inclination to want to pray. But we then have to choose.
At times, it looks as though life is a game of chance. Some may be struck down by disease, or be on the end of an accident, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe there is a bad decision by someone else.
But our lives are not a game of chance, even though we cannot see the details of how the Lord has worked something out - and that is painful and very costly at times.
But He has a long-term plan - to help us to grow to be like Jesus. Ultimately, he pays the charge for that process - though we get to contribute in both the pain and the gain of that glorious purpose. I know that I need to see this Big Picture of what happens in my life today.
May you be excited today by His Plan.
Best wishes,
Richard