There is a famous quote from Albert Einstein that says, “God does not play dice with the universe.” And while I don’t believe Einstein was intending to make a theological statement…and certainly not a statement about my life in particular, I’m nonetheless finding some profound Truth in what he said. Another, probably more appropriate, source for this wisdom is St. Therese of Lisieux. She has a prayer attributed to her that includes the following line, “May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.”

I’m realizing the very powerful, and very comforting, reality in that Truth. I am exactly where God wants me to be. Whatever is happening, whatever is going on, this is what God wants for me and my life right now. And for that very reason, I can take comfort in knowing that this moment…whatever pain or struggle or joy or challenge it contains…passed through Him first. And if I connect this to the promise that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28), then I can know that not only is this moment not some cosmic accident or some kind of luck (good or bad), but that it was a specifically created moment for me…for my good. And let me tell you…sometimes…especially those times when the moment is hard or uncomfortable or painful…being able to trust and believe that whatever it is will ultimately be for my good can make all the difference.

But there is actually another area in my life where this comes into play. You see, despite how it probably looks to everyone around me, I really am striving to be the person God intended me to be each and every moment of each and every day. (OK…I’m probably not always striving as hard in some moments as in others.) And for me, that means I am constantly trying to figure out what God wants me to do. What is His will? I do this even down to seemingly silly things like do I get on the HOV lanes or not, or do I have this for lunch or not. I’m sure that seems crazy…maybe ridiculous…and I don’t literally go down to that level all the time. But the point is that because of my sometimes desperate desire to want to please God and do the right thing…I worry that every little thing is a sign telling me what I should do. I worry about missing the signals God is sending me. What if I make the wrong decision? What if I miss out on something He is trying to do for me.

But you see, there is the Truth again. I am exactly where I am meant to be. If God wants me someplace else (a different job, a different friendship, a different service at Church), He’ll make it happen. Of course He doesn’t take our free will. But He is also not going to play some hide-and-seek game with His will for my life. I believe that if God has a place for me to be or He has something He wants me to hear, He’s going to make sure I get the message. You see because God doesn’t play dice. He doesn’t play games with our lives. He is not going to leave us to our own devices trying to pick up some subtle clue or hint or premonition and then just say too bad when we miss it. God loves us too much for that.

So the next time I’m frustrated or in pain or suffering in some way, I’m going to try to remind myself that this is God allowing a situation to draw me closer to Him. This is God working good in my life…even if I can’t see it. And when I worry about missing an opportunity or find myself longing for something bigger or better in my life…I’m going to repeat my new mantra over and over again: I am exactly where I am meant to be. God allowed this moment in my life…on purpose…deliberately…and with His perfect sovereignty. So whether joy or pain, I take comfort in knowing this is where I need to be.

In His Peace…