The fact that there are people who have had to go through extraordinary hardships, and yet testify that if they had to do it all over again, they wouldn't have it any different, leads one to wonder:If God's is really in charge, and He's really putting an effort into making this whole stage-play of world history come out with the best results possible, then who needs parallel worlds? I mean, if God is omni-scient and can foresee the future, and like Nicolas Cage in the movie "Next," foresee all the other options, then there would be no need to play them all out in an endless amount of alternative versions and destinies, each in their own parallel universe, as some claim ought to be the case, right?
No, that doesn't mean that everything is preset and predestined, either. We still make our choices. But God does His best to help us make the right ones, and when we don't, to make the best out of that, too. It's a real, live work of art & Master piece in the making, the Big Picture; and I don't think it's just one of a gazillion just like it. This is it. The Real Thing.
If life - as bad as it sometimes or even often may seem to us - is the best it possibly can be (especially for those who try to make the right choices because they love God - see Romans 8:28), then it's really another reason to trust God fully for what He's doing right here and right now - or, even if He's not doing it all Himself - for what He's allowing to happen.
If we are convinced that in the final analysis, the outcome of our story is going to be the best possible, a universal lesson on good and evil never to be forgotten by men & angels, then we can fully embrace everything that's happening, even if it may not look all that desirable to us.
Of course, some things are still left up to us. What's really hard for us to believe and fully realize is that one of the most significant things we can do in order to influence things and really have an impact on the course of things is to pray. We prefer to make more physical contributions to the flow and rhythm of all things and show off how strong we are, instead of availing ourselves of some invisible Power we're not always quite sure of.
But if we were, then we could certainly trust the universe (and the Power that both created and maintains it) around us more, instead of deeming it only one of innumerable options that are happening simultaneously. If God already knew all the other options and possible outcomes, then this is it. You don't need to look or wait for anything better, nor passively resign to the great meaninglessness of everyting, but you can put your whole heart into making the best out of the here and now, fully confident of the fact that you've got very competent help and support.
As usual, this option will sound way too naiv and simple for most people to choose, who live by the rule, "Why make it easy, when you can make it complicated?" But if you're ever tired of the confusion and apparent senselessness of it all under your current mindset, try simple and childlike trust. Yes, in spite of the circumstances and their gross and scary looks.
P.S.: One more thought on the idea of a nearly identical parallel universe. If you look at creation, you’ll inevitably spot God’s sense for variety. If He doesn’t create one snowflake or egg exactly the same as the other, it’s not very likely that He’d create another universe exactly like ours, much less a whole bunch of’em.
Besides, there are whole different dimensions to explore yet already, that we know very little about. So who needs another world just like this one, with only a few details changed? Not me.
