5. A passage that moved me

chapter 58 page 177
"Destiny, I feel is also a relationship-a play between divine grace and willful self-effort. Half of it is absolutely in your hands, and your actions will show measurable consequence. Man is neither entirely a puppet of the gods, nor is he entirely the captain of his own destiny; he's a little of both. We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side-by-side horses- one foot is on the horse called "fate," the other on the horse called "free will." And the question you have to ask every day is-which horse do I need to steer with concentrated effort?"

This quotation sums up several ideas expressed and explored within this book. FAITH, HOPE, SEARCH FOR SELF, UNDERSTANDING, DESTINY, FREE WILL, LOVE, EAT, and PRAY. It goes further to suggest that life is one relationship after another. Each one grows from one another and supports one another. Even when we feel like we have lost all control of our lives, we must realize that it is "absolutely" in our hands. As long as we realize that our choices have a consequence our destiny is up to us. We can choose to make the most of it, or we can let it play out as it is suppose to. We are influenced by everything around us, making us puppets at times, but our hand is what makes the puppet talk. Fate is what we choose it to be, we can give and take what has been there all along, or we can make it our own (redefine it). Each day is a new day, a new opportunity, and chance to be and do whatever you feel your destiny should entail.

Elizabeth had redefined her destiny for years, assuming her destiny instead of allowing it to play out. There was a moment in time when she realized how much she lived as a puppet, and that moment dispersed when she found herself. She did this on her trips through Italy, India, and Indonesia. She also made her transition when she realized what she really wanted in life (David, her husband, faith). She grabbed the reigns.