A Tree Falls: The Surprises the Universe Gives Us

   On Monday night, after a delayed flight from Chicago, I walked back to my car in the parking lot just after a very strong storm hit Atlanta.  At least I did not get drenched before I could pull out my umbrella, but I was afraid of driving all the way back to Vinings from College Park.  I drove slowly, used my headlights, took the proper precautions.  But in all honesty, in part, it was luck that helped me to make the drive home safely.  Unfortunately, a man who lives off of Howell Mill Road, close to a few of my good friends, was not so lucky.  A tree hit him, and he was instantly killed.  Thank God it was not my friends involved in that unfortunate incident, but I can't help feeling sorry for whoever faced that tragedy.  I am sure he did absolutely nothing to deserve getting hit by that tree.  Yes, to a degree, karma plays a role because if you give positive energy, you will often receive it back.  But this story I heard at a prayer meeting last night proves that the universe can be unpredictable and at times, even cruel.  

     We all go through periods in our live when all seems to finally be going well for us.  For me, one was June 2010 to February 2011.  I was doing well at work, making some new friends, earning recognition for my writing.  Yet sometimes, on a seemingly sunny day, a  few storms can hit, and they come out of nowhere.  It's strange how a few new needles in one's haystack, but at work and in one's personal life, can suddenly cause it to tilt.  Suddenly, I felt like the universe was out to get me, and I found myself at a prayer meeting last night asking God, "why, why?  I just don't understand."  What came to me in this period of prayer is that sometimes, we understand only later, and some things, we are not fully going to understand until we meet our Father in heaven.  For some reason, this realization brought me to a peace that I haven't had in a long time, even since I was a child.  I have an inquisitive and creative mind, so if I can't find a final answer right away, I can normally create one.  But some questions, I just cannot answer: Why doesn't this child want to learn as much as I did when I was growing up?  Why doesn't he love me back?  Why am I not where I thought I would be and wanted to be by the time I reached age 30?  Why is this person who was once a good friend no longer in my life?

    I got a perfect score on my Honors World History exam my sophomore year in high school, meaning I answered every single question right.  There were two questions I had to guess on, but for some reason, I remembered nearly every fact Mrs. Overstreet and my textbook had taught me that fall semester.  I was the first person in the school to accomplish this feat, and I could answer all of those questions. There are questions that I ask the universe that I cannot answer.  However, I have a sense of peace knowing that in the end, there is a larger purpose at hand, and that instead of trying to answer every question, I should live my life one day at a time and enjoy the journey.  The answers, and the destinations, will come with time.  I am sure that the man wondered why the tree fell on him, but hopefully, God will be able to answer the question as to why that incident was a part of a chain reaction that the universe mysteriously caused.  Right now, my prayer is for the people in the world who have much harder questions to answer, much stronger burdens to bear than I do right now.  I have a job, a safe apartment, and people who love me, so I can be like the little girl who lets her balloon drift to the sky.  As a wise man reminded us last night, it's best to set ourselves and those we love out on a journey without trying to control our destination.