The Illusion of Control

I am surprised by what is considered to be 'control'. When I hear people talk about their accomplishments or gifts, I often hear the phrase, “You just have to want it bad enough.” So wanting is the only prerequisite of achieving? I think not! If that is all it took, every team would win their game, everyone would be healthy and prosperous, you get the picture. Granted, persistence, hard work, knowledge, these are things that should not be ignored. But do we really have the control over all aspects of our lives?

When Alec was in 1st grade, his class went on a field trip to the canyons. Mr. Chapman took them on a nature walk, pointing out different foliage, wildlife, and the beauties of nature. When we got back into the bus, I noticed that Alec had a grasshopper sitting on his finger. This was amazing to me, because they usually don’t stay in one place for very long, yet this grasshopper seemed to be content to stay with Alec. (I did, however, notice that it was missing a leg.) His class mates were so intrigued. They crowded around him to see this treasure. One friend asked him how he got him to stay on his finger. Alec told him, “I trained him!” --The illusion of control--. Alec was naive enough to think that he had control over the grasshopper. I have asked him about this incident lately and he told me, he really thought that he trained him. After that grasshopper died, he found others, removed their leg and then couldn’t understand why they weren’t ‘trained’.

I am intrigued by the paradox of agency and yet God being in control. I heard it once said that we are in charge of the ingredients of controlling our lives, but God is in charge of the outcome. What are your thoughts?