Understanding Destiny in The Will of God by Weatherhead As I continued to talk with my pastor that day, I really felt the pain in his eyes - the anger that comes from an insoluble injustice, the weariness of a problem. "What's wrong?" I finally asked, “Are you having a bad day?” Sensing that I was really worried, he let the truth be told. “I spoke today with a woman whose baby died suddenly of unknown causes. As we worked through her grief, she said many friends and family members, including a religious leader, patted her on the back, shook their heads and said, “It was God's will.” I can think of few worse things to say to a grieving parent. Saying nothing at all would be more helpful. It was clear from our conversation that he had a greater understanding of God's will than I did, and his insight created in me a curiosity and desire to know more. There is so much mystified confusion surrounding God's will in today's society. It is evident from the way people use the term that opinions on it differ considerably; there is even a contradiction between two things that the same person could say. It was through the recommendation of my pastor and others that I decided to read The Will of God, written by Leslie D. Weatherhead. This book was not published until it was first published as a series of sermons delivered in England just after World War II. According to Weatherhead, God actually has three types of will: intentional will, circumstantial will, and ultimate will, all of which are distinct from each other. Intentional will is defined as God's will for humans from the beginning, on the personal level of each human being. being, and as a larger goal for humanity. This is the way he would like human life to unfold... middle of paper ... it seems to fit well with the serenity prayer: “Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things that I can't change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Our task as humans is to discern these wills in our lives and separate them. We are not to become embittered, but rather empowered, clinging to the knowledge that there is an ever-gracious God who is constantly working for our good and that He always has a plan for us amidst the trials presented by life on earth . However, in order to discern this will, we must seek it by being aware of its separation from our own fears and desires. This discernment is also difficult because of our limited perspectives as human beings, and so we need humility in our search. But the most important thing is the search itself: we must all continue to search for the will.