Miss Universe Mistake: Is God Testing You, Miss Colombia?

Dear Miss Gutierrez-Arévalo,

Many people have weighed in on the moment you were crowed Ms. Universe, then learned that you were actually the runner-up in the contest. They commiserate with you and imagine how devastated you must have been. They wonder how a person regains her footing after such a shock.

Here is the answer: Faith.

Listening to thousands of life stories during my twenty years as a psychiatrist has convinced me that life events are not as random as they may seem and that opportunities to triumph in the biggest ways often come disguised as defeats, even very painful ones.

The lens that allows one to see this fact is a long one, requiring a person to step back, settle her nerves and look for that special path meant for her—the one that requires not only bravery and ingenuity, but the conviction that human beings are connected to a force greater than themselves that rewards them for passing through the door of adversity with an intention to triumph and achieve good works.

Step back now and let’s take a look through that lens of faith, together, for a few moments.