Why does God let bad things happen to good people?
As I rolled out of bed Sunday Morning, I was quickly asked by Jerilyn if I wanted to go to early church (8:45am) or attend the late one (11:00 am). Since we have a new pastor we seem to go to church more often. I know that is a poor excuse for not attending regularly, but unfortunately, that seems to be the case for me.
Normally, we arrive at church, our new minister delivers his sermon and we head for home after a few pleasantries with fellow churchgoers. We usually decide on the way home whether we were moved by the sermon, or not. This was not a “normal Sundayâ€. Much to my surprise, our new minister (of 6 months) delved right into the age old question: Why does God let bad things happen to good people.
Needless to say, I was dumbstruck that this was the topic of today’s sermon. I guess I expected that when this subject was to be addressed, there would be an advertisement in the local paper, or on TV, so everyone could attend. I have heard this question asked since I was a boy and no one seemed to have a clear answer. I have asked the Lord many times that very question.
Well, Sunday I finally got, what I thought, was a reasonable answer. According to our minister (in a nutshell): God does not try to control the natural flow of our lives. In other words, whatever is in the tea leaves is allowed to happen. God’s promise is that he will be there to guide us and comfort us during our time of need. Tragedy is a part of all of our lives. I now understand His promise to be there with us in our time of need. I also now understand that he is not responsible for seeing that tragedies do not happen to me and those I love.
In other news, signs of spring are everywhere. Our temp today should reach 80°. Flowers are blooming and the Forsythia is starting to show buds. I mowed the grass for the first time this year on Saturday. I have decided not to plant a garden. I have not had much success due to the lack of sufficient sunshine in the only area I have for planting.
Have you ever seen so much bad news coming out of Washington, D.C. Sometimes I wonder if our government can get anything right. I know Bush is not all bad, although he has done many things that I, as a Republican, dislike. Our TV & newspaper media have become the bully in the schoolyard. It seems like, the less we listen, the louder they become. My solution: play more commercial free music (XM Radio), watch less TV and spend more time doing things I enjoy (I spend way too much time on my PC). Spring beckons. Welcome old friend !
Until next time. Thanks for reading.
Tommy
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”
Mark Twain
