Master Plan

I prayed for strength... you sent me obstacles to overcome

I prayed for wisdom... you sent me problems to solve

I prayed for love... you sent me people who wanted help

You answered all my prayers, but never gave me anything I wanted.

We all remember "The Karate Kid". It was a classic. I probably watched that film over twenty times when it first came out. Along with the humorous impersonations of the Hare Krishnas, there was also a profound spiritual message. Strongly desiring to learn karate, 'Daniel-san' was engaged in household chores by his teacher. He was patient, but became increasingly frustrated and finally challenged his teacher as to how this had any relevance to his goal. The genius teacher revealed to him how those seemingly insignificant tasks were the building blocks for his karate prowess and ultimate success. Every exercise had a meaning behind it.

In the same way, there is a divine master plan in our own lives, which may be incomprehensible with our limited intelligence and perception. Everything happens for a reason. Instead of rushing through life and getting through the day, if we take quality time to reflect on our experiences, we will see that there are deep life lessons to be learnt from everything we encounter. They are all divinely inspired events meant to refine our character and help us achieve our full potential.