Sometimes it becomes rather easy to forget about the preciousness of life, or maybe better put, the true lack of control we all possess. As Christians, we often use this language of control in conversations about God's sovereignty, omniscience, and power, but I wonder how much of it we actually believe. Truth be told, even the best of us don't really give enough credence to the fact that we have no control over instances. Even in the free will that I possess, I don't necessarily have control over what illnesses I will have, how my friend will respond to a comment, how the person in the left lane will turn, etc.

I'm not preparing to get into a theological argument about predestination vs. free will - maybe another day, at another time (when I'm a bit more awake and cognitively prepared to argue). But I have been thinking a lot lately about circumstances surrounding me that I have the choice in what I'm doing versus those moments when I hear news that I have literally no say in outcome or effects.

A professor of mine this quarter has been surprised, shall I say, by the recent events of his health. Two surgeries in three weeks would be a nice little surprise to me too. Another professor around here is terminally ill with cancer. (I mean, I guess in a horrifically pessimistic view we're all terminally ill, but that's just a silly statement, really!) But I wonder how many of the students around here, or how many people in general, really think about this notion that things are happening to every one of us that we don't care, want or know how to share together. Or even that things happen daily that we wish we could relive.

I wish I had that mulligan button to hit occasionally in life, but I don't. So I am left to relive or live out the effects of some of my choices and the choices of others. I wonder if it ever will feel okay, though.