Randomness. Chance. Predestination.
I don't have the answers either. When the numbers drop in the slots for a Gold Lotto draw, we have no way of knowing the outcome as we don't know enough about the all the forces involved. But God does, and can probably predict the outcome well beforehand.
In any case, in His unbounded "now", He just sees things happen anyway.
I'll tell a couple of personal stories first. I've often stated that the night my father died, he appeared in my room. We argued, talked and at the end he gave this absolutely terrifying scream. Then he just disappeared.
But during the proceedings at one point he exclaimed "I always was doomed! I didn't really have any choice!" I argued back saying that couldn't be right. He replied, "Oh, it's right, all right. You can see that from here." But later he admitted "I was WILLING" (to act the way he did).
Fast forward about 26 years, and I was driving a cab at night, part time. One night I happened to be in the suburb where he died, and found my way to Rivington Street, Nundah, which was the very street in which he died. This got me thinking about the apparition, and also some of his predictions which were rather grim.
So I prayed specifically for some sort of "sign" that what he said could be trusted. I got back this sense that I ought to know better than to ask for a "sign", but I persisted. Now I don't think it was that shift, but the next one two days later when I queued up on the Queen Street Rank which was my preferred rank.
I waited my turn, and eventually a bloke came wandering up, a bit the worst for wear, and just said "Nundah!" I said "Whereabouts in Nundah?" He replied with some impatience "Just drive! I'll tell you where to go!" So off we went, turned here and there, and ended up in, you guessed it, Rivington Street, Nundah. Not only that, but if my father died at No. X Rivington Street, this bloke wanted to go to X-1 Rivington Street, pretty much just across the road from the flat where my father died.
You might put it down to coincidence, but I think I got my "sign". Now I had free will where I drove, there were traffic lights, other drivers, radio jobs, and my place in the queue. Then there was the other bloke's "free will" who decided to come out of the hotel at just the right time to hop into my particular cab to go just to the particular address which would satisfy a "Sign".
We think we're in charge, but are we really?
To be honest, it felt like there was a hint of divine irritation in the way the bloke said "Just drive! I'll tell you where to go!". Like God was saying "You ought to know better!"
