God's guiding hand awaits our cooperation

We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.

― From The Alchemist by Paul Coelho, a Brazilian, writing in Portuguese; first published 1988.

Earlier in that novel:

The boy knew what [ a fellow traveller] was about to describe: the mysterious chain that links one thing to another, the same chain that had caused him to become a shepherd, that had caused his recurring dream [of the Pyramids as a key to finding treasure], that had brought him to a city in Spain near Africa, to find a king, and to be robbed in order to meet a crystal merchant and...

The Alchemist employs the concept of "maktub" meaning "It is written" - but Coelho is careful not to downplay our own agency in fulfilling our life's destiny. Coelho says this about fate and each one's personal story in life:

There’s an important difference between blind fate and the path of the personal legend. When we speak of fate, man’s free will is absent: we are merely puppets in the hands of a cold and distant puppeteer. In the case of personal legend, there’s the dimension of mission. This means that the person has to actively wish to tread down the path that will enable her to flourish. It is a difficult path, there are many obstacles, but it’s the person’s choice. There is always the possibility for us to turn our backs to our personal legend.

God has a plan, a goal, a purpose for each person, and pursuing that goal is our life's work, as Coelho describes  here:

“When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.” ― Brida

Rick Warren offers a useful insight into our personal story and God's will for our destiny:

God’s will is not automatic. He allows us to make choices. Many of the things that happen to you are not God’s perfect will. We all have to choose between God’s will and our will. We often choose our will.

If I got drunk, fell in a pool, and drowned, that wouldn’t be God’s will for my life. It would be my own stupid decision. God has a destiny for your life, but he won’t force it on you.

But you can have God’s will for your life. Even when you mess up, God can turn disaster into destiny. It’s never too late to have his perfect will in your life. Just pray, “God, I want your purpose for my life,” and you won’t miss it — no matter where you’ve been. He’ll get you in line with his purpose. He wants you to fulfill your destiny more than you do!

A postscript: In a 2008 interview , Coelho spoke about being a Catholic and his delight in the mystery of the Mass, where Christ, as both human and God, becomes present in a physical way. He went on to make this point:

God’s a verb. God is action. God is - is a verb, yes. You cannot define. When Moses asks who are you and He says, “I Am.” He does not say I am this or that or that. He just says, “I Am.” So, I think this is the best definition, you know? He is.