Destiny within "Eat, Pray, Love"

I am reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert... (basic plot: "one woman's search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia")

...and I love it...

...and there are two things I want to share from it that I have loved but...

one thing at a time people.

At one point in the book Elizabeth talks about this package of books she had shipped from American to her new Italian home. However, the package never showed. From this stemmed a whole conversation that intrigued me and made me think.

"The mystery of my missing box prompts a long discussion one night between me, my American Friend Maria and her husband, Giulio. Maris thinks that in a civilized society one should be able to rely on such things as the post office delivering one's mail in a prompt manner, but Guilio begs to differ. He submits that the post office belongs not to man, but to the fates, and that delivery of mail is not something anybody can guarantee. Maria, annoyed, says this is only further evidence of the Protestant Catholic divide. This divide is best proven, she says, but the fact that Italians- including her own husband- can never make plans for the future, not even a week in advance. If you ask a Protestant from the American Midwest to commit to a dinner date next week, that Protestant, believing she is the captain of her own destiny, will say: 'Thursday night works fine for me.' But if you ask a Catholic from Calabria to make the same commitment, he will only shrug, turn his eyes to God, and ask, 'How can any of us know whether we will be free for dinner next Thursday night, given that everything is in God's hands and non of us can know our fate?'"

So what does this mean for me?

I have no idea.

But I do really think there is a lot more to what Guilio is saying. That final statement is not just saying that planning a dinner date is not smart. He is saying our actions every day should be made with the knowledge and realization that destiny is not in our hands.

So because of that, right now, I am simply thankful that my destiny, whatever it may be, is completely out of my control even though I foolishly try so hard to keep a handle on it. I am grateful that my destiny is in the hands of a God that promises me happiness...eternal happiness...

Destiny without God is void and pointless and scary.

So God- be my Destiny.