When I read history, with the little I know of the subject, I find myself calling silently to the players, warning them of their impending demise. From my comfortable chair, I can usually spot their folly and know when things aren't going to end well.
Usually my wisdom is a cheat--I'm in the future afterall, and their story has only been written because something significant evolved from the mundane. You don't get a cup of coffee knowing the refrigerator's going to fall on you, anymore than a historian would write about it unless it was the instrument of your death, or the impetus for your salvation.
This is why I prefer history to current events. With history I know what's coming, or at the very least, that something significant will form from the described event. But living through history gives no such advantage, offers no absolute warnings, and the mundane can't be diagnosed as significant until much later.
But then enters God. Or more accurately, there God is--with His clear prescience and perfect will. For Him there are no surprises, no miscalculations, no adjustments required. He knows the story, He owns the story, and by trusting Him, He will carry me through the story--safely, purposefully, and lovingly.
Part of me wishes I could sit comfortably as my life unfolds, but then no one gets to read the last page before the book is written.

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