What goes around, comes around
1 o'clock, April 8, 2004
I’ve known people who see divine purpose and divine providence in the suffering of others. One of them said to a person I know (who had one of those truly hellish cigarette-burns-and-everything-else abusive childhoods) that she wondered what my friend had done in a previous lifetime that caused her to choose to have such parents in this one.
When we heard about that, another friend fantasized about being there, punching out the woman when she made that remark, and then saying “Gee, I wonder what you did in a past life that caused me to hit you?”
I empathize.
But isn't it just as silly to see "divine purpose and divine providence" in the good fortune of others?
By the way, speaking of religious people and divine intervention, I went to a local diner for lunch the other day, hoping to eat alone and read a book. Instead, I ran into a group of co-workers. They invited me over, and the conversation soon turned to Wanda, whose purse had gone missing over the weekend.
"I guess The Enemy's just working against me," she said. The others nodded their heads.
I looked out the window and hoped for time to pass more quickly.
There was more, but that was the highlight: Satan stole Wanda's purse on Saturday.