destiny

If you knew what you were destined to become, would you accept it and follow that plan or would you fight it tooth and nail? Granted that's an odd question and the answer somewhat depends on whether the destiny revealed to you sounded good or not. At the same time it might not matter what the the outcome was, you may want to deviate from that destiny just to maintain the idea that you are in control of your life and can make any choice you want. I think Americans are especially prone to this idea that we are in control and no one can wrest that control away from us. Carpe Diem, seize the day. A day cannot be seized by someone not in control of their own destiny.

Taking the hypothetical a step further, what would you do if you were presented with someone else's destiny and had the power to allow them to follow or deviate from that destiny? This becomes especially difficult when the exposed plan for someone else interferes with where you think their life should be heading? At that point I would imagine that a rational person would be overwhelmed with the power they had just been given.

Both of these situations arise in the movie The Adjustment Bureau. The protagonist is presented with a choice between a fantastic career or the love of his life. When the options are presented to him he is informed that his choice drastically affects not only his own destiny but also his lover's. Obviously, our protagonist chooses love and despite all odds, it works out and everyone is happy in the end (I wasn't really satisfied with the ending but realized the writer kind of dug himself a pretty deep hole that wasn't going to be escaped gracefully).

Drawing from the wealth of movies that are resolved with protagonists choosing love over wealth, fame, etc. it's encouraging to see that our culture as a whole hasn't become so enamored with possessions and stuff that we prioritize it over personal, intimate relationships. At the same time it is also incredibly depressing to see that we stop there. 'true love' is viewed as the ultimate achievement in this world and as long as you have that then you're set. I agree that this is a lofty goal that should be sought but I think the object of our deepest affections is hollow and empty, even if it is another human being. Humans will always fail us and not live up to the ideals we have setup for them in our hearts and minds. God on the other hand will never fail and will always be there to forgive when we fail Him. He defines 'true love' and is constantly with us if we let Him into our heart. If we are moved to love Him, He will come when invited. At that moment our destiny is changed not because we are forced but because of the 'true love' we have for the love of our life.