everything does not happen for a reason

You know what my least favorite platitude is?
For those who do not know what a platitude is....hint:  it's not the attitude of Perry the Platypus.  I know, I watch way too much Phineas and Ferb.

plat·i·tude

ˈplatiˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

1. 1.

   a remark or statement, esp. one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

Everything happens for a reason.

I hate this phrase.

Actually, after reading the definition of platitude, maybe "everything happens for a reason" doesn't qualify as a platitude.  It's really more of a stupid thing to say.  Let me explain.

Lots of people say this and mean well, but it really gets my goat.

And not as in, totes magotes.

Love this commercial.

Don't really love goats but this is funny too.

Anyway, back to the whole "everything happens for a reason".

I am guilty of saying this, too.  I've said it to other people and I've said it to myself.

It's a lie.

Sometimes things happen for no reason.  Sometimes there is no sense to be made out of things that happen in our lives.  To be sure, some things happen because they are direct results of our own actions.  Those things would be called consequences, which many people choose to call something that is "happening to me".  That's not what I'm talking about.

They're called consequences.

What I'm talking about are those things in life which are inexplicable, like losing a child or infertility or illnesses or things of that nature.  While I believe that God can and sometimes does certainly bring good out of bad, it doesn't cancel out the bad like it never happened.  Like in the story of Joseph.  What his brothers meant for evil, God used for good.  But the thing is, I'm not Joseph.  And I'm glad, by the way, because I'm pretty sure being sold as a slave by your own brothers ranks in the top 10 of sucky things that can happen to you in life.

I would like to encourage everyone to NEVER say "everything happens for a reason" again.

It's kind of like a slap in the face, no matter how well meaning you may be.

So unless you want to be slapped in the face, don't say "everything happens for a reason".  Ok?  Thanks.