To me "it wasn't meant to be" is pointless because it suggests there is some higher power that's picking and choosing what will happen in any given person's life. I don't believe there is any "higher power". Human beings are simply another species that evolved on earth. Whatever does, or doesn't, happen is merely the outcome of previous actions mixed in with a healthy dose of chance.

Another similar phrase is when people survive some sort of accident such as a car or plane crash and they say something to the effect: "God was with me." To my mind what this suggests is this "god" just didn't give a damn about all of the others who were seriously injured, or who died.