There is no free will except for our attitudes and emotions. As Dr. Raynor C. Johnson wrote, “There is no such thing as chance or accident as far as human souls are concerned.” And I finally understand and accept that to be true.

I do not say I believe it in any scientific sense but with a wisdom born of experience. The rails of the subconscious may be underwater and out of sight, but they carry us exactly where we need to go. We may scream in protest, but what happens on Planet Earth stays on Planet Earth. For Earth is our planetary kindergarten. We are learning to play nice, to do unto others, or we will be put in jail. That is the first level of earthly discipline.

Then we find out that there are things like conscience and character which determine our reactions to the lessons. We start to toddle into trouble when we don’t pay close attention to consequences.

Some of us take to the spiritual path like a duck to water. But as my friend Elise used to laugh and say, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make the son of a bitch drink!” And so we resist our lessons while insisting we have free will. That we can change course any time we get good and ready.

Even Jesus said he was just doing what His Father told him to do. The plot was written. And so the actors may forget their lines, may forget that they are acting, but all the world’s a stage. My friend John Ramsey said this, “You wouldn’t get up in the audience of a Shakespearean play and yell, “It’s only a play!” So you don’t have to spoil the plot for other people. Just read your lines so the plot can advance.

As for people who think they are awake, they manage to conform to their roles just like everyone else. It’s a hell of a mess we find ourselves in when we first realize we prefer heaven. For heaven is within us, as some poet wrote. And so Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is within you.”

Now that I have written these paragraphs, consider yourself duly informed. What happens happens. It is what it is. End of story. Or is it just the beginning?

Vicki Woodyard