{"id":621,"date":"2010-12-06T06:40:26","date_gmt":"2010-12-06T06:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerstinpur.de\/?p=621"},"modified":"2010-12-06T06:40:26","modified_gmt":"2010-12-06T06:40:26","slug":"everything-has-a-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerstinhack.de\/en\/hat-alles-einen-sinn\/","title":{"rendered":"Does everything make sense?"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the weekend, I attended a seminar on the topic of \u201eSwing. Your Life in Balance\u201c <\/a>held in Oldenburg. In the afternoon, there was delicious coffee and cake, and \u2013 thirsty from all the talking \u2013 I drank several cups of tea. Later, when I was sitting on the train, they wanted to say goodbye.
\nSo I set off in search of a working toilet on a train completely packed with Christmas market visitors. I walked \u2013 honestly \u2013 the entire length of the train once. Eight toilets were out of order. Only the very last one worked. Slightly frustrating. I\u2019d actually much rather have been reading and relaxing in comfort than spending part of the train journey wandering through overcrowded carriages.
\nOn the way back, I suddenly heard someone say, \u201eHello, Kerstin\u201c. A woman who\u2019d taken part in one of our \u201emountain hut seminars\u201c a year ago came up to me. It was lovely to see her. If it hadn\u2019t been for the overcrowded toilets, I\u2019d probably never have spotted her.
\nI only managed to catch the next train \u2013 because of the delay \u2013 by sprinting. I got into a carriage \u2013 and almost turned round to get out again. It stank absolutely horribly of cold sweat. I didn\u2019t want to stay there for an hour. So, on to the next carriage\u2026 Just as I sat down, another \u201eHello, Kerstin\u2026\u201c A colleague from southern Germany was on the same train. He\u2019d thought of me twice the previous week and wanted to ask for my help with some projects, but had put the idea aside because he thought I\u2019d be very busy. So we had an hour to chat about the projects and personal matters. Just as well.
\nOn the next train \u2013 I\u2019d finally just dozed off a bit when the person sitting next to me woke me up again; he\u2019d just come back from the dining car. We got talking \u2013 about books and e-books \u2013 and he immediately bought \u201eKrisen\u201c, our first inspiration booklet, which is as an iPhone app <\/a>there is.
\nAt the weekend, a conversation with a young man really moved me. He suffers from a chronic illness. And people have told him, \u201eI\u2019m sure there\u2019s a reason for all of this.\u201c
\nI don\u2019t believe that everything automatically has a purpose. We live in a world where much is wonderful, but where quite a lot is also thoroughly broken and destroyed. Broken toilets, smelly train compartments, people who wake you from your sleep, and chronic pain \u2013 all of that has <\/em>As far as I\u2019m concerned, it doesn\u2019t make sense at the moment.
\nBut in every situation, we have \u2013 certainly with God\u2019s help \u2013 the opportunity to find meaning give. <\/em>By making the best of the constraints we face. By shaping what we can shape. With chronic illnesses, one often has no control over the course of the disease \u2013 but one does have control over one\u2019s attitude and how one copes with it. This is where one can find meaning and give meaning.
\nAnd I do consider it perfectly legitimate to ask God to intervene and act, and to transform \u201etight\u201c, difficult situations. Before I set off, a woman had prayed for me, asking that I might have a pleasant train journey\u2026<\/p>\n