Everything Happens for a Reason?

We had a pastors' meeting yesterday morning and the phrase "Everything happens for a reason." was discussed because we are hearing it more and more. Usually it is preceded or followed by a form of, "Well, I guess everything..." or "...for a reason I guess." The discussion that followed amongst ourselves was interesting. We talked about reason vs. plan/purpose. We talked about how this statement relates to events like 9/11, natural disasters or the loss of a loved one. We also talked about how often this phrase comes in the form of a question.

My take on it is this: God provides the reason.

Things happen that don't make sense and we don't understand and God brings reason out of them. Does He desire for things like 9/11 to happen, of course not, but He can, and does fit them into His plan. A plan that includes purpose, hope and reason. Sure everything happens for a reason because there is something known as cause and effect. Things happen as the consequence of other things happening or not happening, that's the reason they happen. If we are looking or searching for a deeper meaning when we say "Everything happens for a reason" then we must go beyond the cause and effect relationship and look to another relationship, the one between God and His creation.