"Drive Safe"

Earlier today, I encouraged someone to "drive safe," but then acknowledged that that wasn't really fully in her control, partly because she wasn't going to be the one driving the whole time and partly because there are several safety-affecting factors outside of our control. There are, of course, other drivers. In this particular case, there is also inclement weather affecting the situation. Additionally, mechanical failures can reduce vehicular safety through no fault of the driver, let alone the passengers. There are many external forces that can affect us, regardless of what we do.

Yet, all we can ever do is to do what we can. Despite the many forces beyond our power, we can still do all that lies within our power, leaving the rest up to luck, fate, and/or the will of God. We may not have total control over ever situation, but we still have some control, and we should actively do what we can.

Beyond that, we can accept the fact that we don't have full control, and things may still happen that go against our wishes. Sometimes the dice don't land the way we want them to. Sometimes fate has other plans. And when God decides to influence a situation, no other power can prevail against His will. He may spare the careless or claim the soul of the cautious. Whether we "drive safe" or not is more in God's hands than in ours, though He usually lets us face that natural consequences of our actions, for well or woe.

So, when facing a situation with any degree of chance, we should always do what we can, but we should also try to remember and accept that the outcome may be determined more by forces outside of our control.