Embracing Fate and Personal Responsibility in Life’s Journey
I just started reading the newest release from one of my favorite authors, Patti Callahan Henry yesterday. The book is The Story She Left Behind. Patti is one of those authors that transports her readers into the story and writes in such a way that makes me reflect deeply on different topics. She has been an incredible inspiration to me both personally and professionally.
I’ve already been inspired to blog about fate. The protagonist in The Story She Left Behind, Clara, is an award-winning artist and during an interview is asked, “Clara, do you think there are things we are meant to do? That there’s such a thing as fate?” “Fate. It’s such a big word, isn’t it?” “Yes.” She met my gaze. “Fate. Destiny,” I (Clara) said. “They’re ours to make.” Clara went on to say, “I believe there are many things we’re put here to do. Don’t ask me by whom, because I don’t have that answer. But I think we come with many fates built into us and we can’t fulfill all of them. We choose.” “Many fates,” she said. “We choose. I like that.” “And yes, maybe my art is one of mine.” I’ve always been curious about about the idea that human lives are part of a larger divine purpose, which can be interpreted as a form of fate. Like Clara, I believe there are many things we are put her to do.
This made we think of George MacDonald who emphasized the importance of free will and personal responsibility within that divine framework, suggesting that while God’s overarching plan guides our lives, humans still have significant agency. His works encourage readers to trust in divine goodness and to understand that what may seem like fate often has deeper meaning in the context of spiritual growth. I don’t believe in a life where we just coast through with all decisions already made.
In George MacDonald’s novel, Lilith, he presented a worldview where divine providence and free will coexist, suggesting that what might appear to be fate is actually part of a larger divine plan guiding souls towards growth and enlightenment. I love the parallel between Cara’s belief that we choose between many fates and MacDonald’s Lilith where fate is depicted less as random or predetermined destiny and more as a divine orchestration that aligns with individual purpose and moral development. I believe we must recognize personal responsibility within a divinely ordered universe.
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[…] once about the awesome new book The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry in Embracing Fate and Personal Responsibility in Life’s Journey. Today I was inspired by this exchange between the protagonist Clara and Mr. Jameson after Clara […]
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