When you think about the meaning of fate, what comes to mind? The Miriam-Webster dictionary defines fate like this: “The will or principal or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are.” In other words, fate is something that causes things to happen. Fate can be described as an event that is inevitable (ex: his fate was to never marry), the final outcome of a situation (ex: the criminal met his fate at the hands of the police officer), or a person’s destiny (ex: a person being the right person in the right place at the right time). In all situations, someone or something is the controlling force behind these events. Who or what seems to be working behind the scenes of our lives?
In a religious context, fate takes on different meanings depending on the religion. For instance, A “spiritual” person or spiritualist believes that fate is a guiding force that shapes their life’s journey, but not in a rigid predetermined way. Contradictorily, they also believe some portions of their lives are planned out before birth, but their free will and choices determine its destiny. That is a humanistic view–the human is in control–everything begins and ends with the human. Buddhists and Hindus view of fate is also humanistic. They believe that fate is determined by karma from a past life, but the human’s free will determines its destiny. With these beliefs, fate is determined by an impersonal external force, or the result of human actions.
Through the lens of Christian faith, all events in our lives are predetermined by a very personal sovereign God–God in Heaven (Psalm 103:19). He is someone that we can have a personal relationship with through prayer, Bible study, worship, and praise (John 14:23, John 15:15). When we confess true faith in Jesus we are no longer strangers to God. We become His adopted children:
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12.
As a child of God, we no longer want to live according to our sinful desires and ways–our will. God has brought our dead heart to life and changed the desires of our heart, so that we now want to live according to His ways–His Will. God tells us in Proverbs 16:9 that “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” This shows us that we will have the tendency to make our own plans, but it is ultimately God who is in control. We tend to think that we know what is good for us and what we want, but God tells us that in spite of what we think we want, he knows what we need (Matthew 6:8). Knowing these truths help us to rightly respond in those times when “fate” pushes back–when our sovereign and providential God unexpectedly changes our plans.
I recently experienced God’s plan overruling of my own expectations:
Our family business had outgrown our current 1,700 square foot warehouse/office rental. The owner of our space knew this, so for over three years he occasionally emailed me larger properties to review that were available to purchase or rent. Over the years there were a few listings that I was very interested in, but in order to make each space work, extensive modifications had to be made to either the building space or contract. It was like trying to fit a circle into a square hole. Because of God’s Word, along with spectacular ways God had already worked in my life, I knew in my heart that these spaces were not meant for us. I trusted that God had a better plan, so I continually prayed and patiently waited.
With twenty employees and a yearly increase in business, things were progressively getting tighter in our current space. Our biggest desire was to purchase a property, but with the way the commercial market was looking, the likelihood for us to be able to purchase was grim. Because of that, I told our rental account manager that we would consider a double unit if one became available in our complex. For the past year several single units became available, but not right next to the one we were currently renting. I continued to pray for God’s Will to be done. If it was His Will for us to rent a double space, I prayed for one to become available.
January 2025 marked a change in the fabric of our company–our employees. For the most part, the personal lives of our employees had been uneventful, but with the arrival of January, whatever had been brewing, finally erupted. Something was going on beyond our control, so I spent a lot of time in prayer for our business and staff. Several employees began going through legitimate difficult life experiences and were missing significant amounts of time at work. The ramifications rippled throughout the company as the installation calendar had to be continually modified to accommodate absences or terminations.
In March I received more unexpected news. My father, who had been working with me in the office, put in his notice. Another employee had to be trained to take over his duties. While that transition was taking place, along with all of the other employee issues, I was also working with my insurance agent to find a new affordable medical policy for our employees. With a looming April 1 start date for the new medical plan, I quickly finalized a new plan.
With all the happenings going on at work, I kept forgetting to schedule my yearly mammogram. I was due for one in January, but I finally called in early March to get it scheduled. On March 18th I had my mammogram, and during the same week my rental account manager sent me three properties to review. Two were rentals and one had the option to purchase or rent. One of the rentals was in the complex next to ours and it was a double unit! I set up appointments to look at all three. I was excited to look at these properties, because I thought God was answering my prayers.
The day before we were to look at the properties something unexpected happened. My doctor called and left me a message to call her back regarding my mammogram. This had never happened before, so my world froze. I hurriedly looked at the report online from the imaging center and saw that it said something abnormal was found in my left breast. How can this be happening? What do I do now? I’m supposed to look at those properties tomorrow! Do I go look at them? I might have cancer! What do I do? God help me!
The next day at work I could hardly function. I was trying to act as normal as possible so no one would suspect something was wrong. I called my doctor back, but she was with a patient and could not come to the phone. I did not want to freeze in fear, so I decided to keep my appointment and look at the properties. We liked the double unit so much that we almost committed to it, but knew we needed to look at them all. The other rental was perfect for us except there was not enough parking, etc. outside.
The last property was the one that had the option to purchase or rent. When we arrived at the property we had high hopes. The location was perfect, it had all the outside space that we needed, and it was on an acre of land. When we went inside and toured the building we knew we had found what we were looking for, so we wanted to put in an offer to purchase after talking to my bank. But in the back of my mind, the thought that kept running on a loop was, I might have cancer. You might ask how God could allow something like this to happen just when something I had prayed and waited for for years was about to become reality. Well, the truth is, God was just getting started.
My doctor did not call me back that day, so since it was Friday, I knew I would not speak with her until the next week. After going over all the events and possibilities of the future, we still had a decision to make–were we going to put in an offer on the building without knowing if I had cancer. If this would have happened to me before I became a Christian there is no doubt what I would have done. I would have become frozen, lost in my despair, and stopped living. As a Christian I did not want to live that way. I wanted to respond to this scary situation as someone who was dependent on God and in a way that would glorify him. I knew that I was not in control of this situation, but God was–no matter the outcome.
Since my son helps us run the company, we made the decision to speak with him about my mammogram results. I had to put my own fear and wants aside. I wanted my husband and son to make the decision regarding whether or not to put an offer on the property. My son’s response was, “Mom, I don’t mean this in a mean way, but whether you are here or not, the business needs to keep moving forward. I think we should move forward with the offer.” My husband agreed, so without knowing what the future held for my health, we placed an offer on the building.
In my past hopes for us, I thought this would be an exciting time as we moved through the process of purchasing a building and moving into a space that was three times larger than our existing space. But, it turned out to be another time in my life clinging to God through prayer and reading His Word as I went through the motions. As the financial manager of the business, I was the one who was in constant communication with the bank and realtors. Every step I went through, my thoughts assailed me. I’m doing all of this work for this loan, but I may not even be here to enjoy this huge moment for our business. I could be in surgery, or in cancer treatment. What if it is progressed too far because I didn’t have my mammogram in January?
The next week, after finally speaking to my doctor, I had to schedule an appointment for an ultrasound to determine what it was they saw in my left breast. It appeared as if the perfect storm was brewing as everything that was happening was beyond my control. Constant delays prevented me from having my ultrasound completed quickly. Because of space constraint, I cannot share all of the delays and twists and turns that took place. When the new company medical policy took effect April 1, there were problems with not only getting my insurance card, but the policy number was also initially incorrect, causing more delays.
I so desperately did not want to succumb to my fears and the what ifs. This is supposed to be one of the happiest and biggest moments of our lives.This is a time to celebrate, but I can’t because I might have cancer. God, I know you are allowing this to happen for a reason–according to your plan. Even though I don’t know why this is happening, I’m not angry with you–I can’t be. I trust you and know this is part of your plan. Please have mercy on me, even though I don’t deserve it.
When I was finally able to schedule the ultrasound it was scheduled for April 25th–five weeks after the mammogram. What if it is cancer and it has been in there growing for the past month? What if during that month it changed stages? What if it spread? These are the thoughts that constantly swarmed in my head as I waited for the day of my ultrasound appointment to arrive. In the meantime, the purchase of the building moved forward.
During those five weeks I clung to God, His Word, and His promises. I was desperate in my pleas to God for His mercy, but I also knew that what was happening was something that God had already predestined to happen. Everything happening was a part of the plan that God had predetermined was going to happen in my life in that particular moment (Romans 8:28). Knowing that, I could not be angry with God for what was happening and the timing of what He was allowing to happen.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” In my case, God had appointed prosperity and adversity to happen at the same time! It was not a coincidence that we were trying to purchase the perfect building space for us while at the same time facing the possibility of a cancer diagnosis. Why would God do this? I believe He really wanted to get my attention so I could see the importance of what He was allowing to happen.
The last section of Ecclesiastes 7:14 is important. Any time we read a Bible verse that contains “so that”, we are about to be given the answer. This verse says that we are encouraged to be joyful in times of prosperity. But what about times of adversity? God says to remember that He has appointed the joyful times as well as the adverse times in our lives in order to conceal the future. In other words, God is showing us that he is the one in control, not us. We do not know our future, but He does. This encourages a greater reliance on God’s wisdom and plans, not ours. Knowing that, brings me comfort.
By God allowing these two opposite events to happen simultaneously, He was causing my husband and I to look within ourselves and face the truth of what or who we put our trust in–our circumstances (present or future) or God. What or who brings us joy and peace? Our circumstances (present or future) or God? Could we still have joy and peace in our hearts if our circumstances are not favorable? How we responded to these unpredicted events happening in our lives would determine who or what we trusted in, as well as the direction and extent of our personal growth.
I had to live in the present, in each moment, not the future, because living in the “what could be” will never bring contentment. But, to be honest, living in the present as God calls us to do, is not always easy. I did not know if we were going to get approved for the bank loan, or if I was going to be diagnosed with cancer. One thing I knew for certain, my time here on earth was more important than a building purchase. And where I will spend eternity is the most important, so I knew that no matter the outcome of my ultrasound, I belong to God in Heaven. I trust in Him, His goodness, His promises, and His plan. If it was His plan for me to be diagnosed with cancer, even though I was scared, I drew my comfort from Him, His Word, and knowing that I would be spending eternity with Him in Heaven.
Knowing that God is the one in control and predetermines His plan for us also brings me comfort in times like this. I can draw nearer to him, pray to him, cry to him, groan to him, and He hears me. He is right there with me during my struggles and sufferings. What can be said about someone who believes fate is being controlled by some impersonal abstract force? How can we draw nearer to a force that we know nothing about? There is no comfort to be sought when relying on an unknown force as the thing that is determining our path or life plan. I know God in Heaven and His promises, so I spent my idle time with Him in prayer and reading His Word. Doing so kept me more focused on Him and less on my fears. It kept me focused on what I knew–God and HIs Word.
The day that I was to find out what direction my life was going to take had finally arrived. My appointment was for later that afternoon. Unexpectedly, I received a call from my bank that morning telling me that we had been approved for the loan on the building. My response, although thankful, was subdued, as. I was nervous about my ultrasound.
My husband knew how nervous I was about the appointment, so in order to be supportive, he drove me to the imaging center. I had an appointment with my doctor the following Monday, so I figured I would receive the results at that time. When I arrived they took another mammogram of my left breast. I then went in the room for the ultrasound. As the imaging specialist looked for the nodule and took images, I prayed, “God, please have mercy on me and remove the nodule. Please don’t allow her to find anything. Please make it disappear.” After about five minutes she stopped the ultrasound. She said she needed to take a look at the images that had been previously taken. While she was out of the room I continued to pray, “God, I pray that she cannot find anything. I pray that it is gone, if that be your Will.”
She came back a few minutes later and continued with the ultrasound. After scanning the whole breast again she honed in on the spot the nodule was supposed to be located. Seeing the imaging wand over the spot of the nodule brought forth this feeling of dreadful acceptance, even though I kept praying that she would not find anything. She appeared to be exasperated as she continued to take images. She then abruptly put the wand down, said she was going to show the scan to the radiologist, and left the room.
A few minutes later she came back in the room and said, “You are all good. We can’t find anything. There isn’t anything there. You are back to your regular scans.” What?! I could not believe it! I was in complete shock! I gathered my belongings, walked into the changing room, and cried and thanked God. I knew I was given a precious gift. A gift not every woman is given when walking into that imaging center.
Out of respect for the other women, once outside, I shared the wonderful news with my husband and called my son. My son and I shared tears together upon hearing the good news. The cloud of dread and uncertainty had been lifted–although I had been poised to hear the opposite news.
As I reflected on the events of the last five weeks I knew that it was no coincidence that the same week I had my mammogram and received the call back, I also came across the perfect building for our company to purchase. It was also no coincidence that the same day I received the results of my ultrasound I also received the news that we had been approved for the loan on the building purchase. The two events were connected for a reason. God was getting my attention, and I listened. This event revealed where, who, or what I put my trust. I believe God wanted me to see if I put my trust in my future, my circumstances, myself, or God?
What about you? Have your eyes been opened by God so you can see Him working His plan through all things in your life? If not, I encourage you to pray for God to open your eyes to see Him in all things and areas of your life. Pay closer attention to how you respond when God unexpectedly changes the direction to your expectations and plans for your future. How do you respond when things do not go according to how you want or expect? Do you turn towards God or away? Do you turn outwards or inwards? How you answer these questions will reveal in who or what you trust.
Not only is this blog a reminder of God’s presence, mercy, and sovereignty, it is a reminder to stay regular with your screening appointments. I encourage you to make your screening appointment today if you have been putting it off for some reason. If you delay your mammogram or any other needed screening you are at risk of not receiving an early diagnosis.
You may read more stories of God’s saving grace in my life by reading my nonfiction book, Heaven’s Joy: The Seeking and Saving of a Runaway Psychic.
