“When we get to the end of the story, you will know more than you do now…” 
― Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen

Wouldn’t life be easier if we knew how things will work out? We spend a good deal of time worrying about what might happen. Knowing the future would reduce so much anxiety.

Or would it?

Everything works out one way or another, and we do get through it however it plays out. But, until then, we’re anxious to know exactly how and when.

So what if we did know everything in the future? Imagine foreseeing all the joys and achievements of the future as well as the disappointments, struggles, and heartaches. Would life be as enjoyable, stressful, or heart-wrenching?

We already get glimpses of what is to come. Science and technology offer opportunities to peak ahead and predict:

• Meteorologists give us a good estimate of tomorrow’s weather – but then we worry about the approaching fronts even when they don’t happen.
• Doctors assess medical results and offer prognoses that may or may not come to fruition.
• Genetic testing during pregnancy allows us to prepare for the sex of a new baby, but knowing takes away a bit of the delivery excitement.
• Media blasts horrific tales of doom. Then we are consumed about all the possibilities surrounding the “Breaking News.”

We humans and all of our advances continue to be limited. Our predictions are not full-proof and can promote unnecessary anxiety in false information.

Only a couple of generations ago, we only knew what was happening at that time. News filtered in slowly, and by the time it was received, it was long over. We couldn’t worry about predictions that never were made.

We can and should prepare for personal and professional success by taking good care of our body, mind, and spirit, keeping finances in check, and maintaining healthy relationships. But how far should we plan and anticipate the future? How much do you really want to know?

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For an innovative prayer starter, see  Hans Christian Andersen Illuminated by The Message.)

(Do you follow my other blog, Midwest Mary?)