13. Misfortune

There’s really no such thing

you know.

Perhaps if there was such a thing
as fortune
then we could say
that when it is thwarted,
mis-
fortune
comes about.
but what would fortune be?
just what seems good to us?

that’s a bit sad,
if you think about it.

we judge events
based on what seems
beneficial
to us, or what seems
detrimental--
and we call it fortune
and misfortune.

what if misfortune
turns out to be good after all?
then it was fortune all along,
right?

you see,
I’d rather not think that way.
Not to see everything
in the light of what it does for me
Not to take all that comes
as mere chance
that I must follow as best I can
or struggle against with all my might--
I prefer to know that
My Father runs the world,
is completely in control of everything
and always has been,
and since He loves me and makes
all things for my good
(what wonder that He should!)
no matter how it seems to me at the time,

then all is fortune to me,
because all is good for me.

So, mis-
fortune?
There’s really no such thing,
you know.