We question.
we doubt.
We wonder where God is and why he's even allowing this.
Trust me, I've been there.
When God had my church split.
When after the church split, our close, close friends turned on my family and got us kicked out.
When I had to move 300 miles from all our family and friends.
When my cousin's twelve day little girl passed away from heart failure.
I don't always understand why God allows what he allows. But I know he's bigger than my problems.
And yet, sometimes the hardest times are when those we love are struggling. When they are angry and frustrated. Because then there is nothing we - as fallible humans - can do.
And that, if you'll pardon the phrase ... SUCKS! It's horrible. And we cry out to Jesus, "Lord! Why? They don't need this, that and the other thing!"
A lady in our church is going through cancer. Again.
My friend is struggling with an issue.
My mom is struggling being far from her family.
Why? Why does bad stuff happen to good people?
Well, I can think of two, biblical reasons for that off the top of my.
1) It's a test.
In Job, God allowed Satan to test Job. To see if he'd stay faithful to him even through all the crap that was thrown at him. And Job did. He didn't "curse God and die" as his wife told him to do. He knew he'd done nothing wrong and that there was a reason for his suffering.
And ...
2) It's a trial.
A trial is different from a test. A trial molds us, makes us and helps us to rely fully on our Creator. He is the only one who can truly help us through the rough times. Peter, Paul, and all the other apostles went through these. God always brought them through. Always. Maybe not the way we think, because God's view isn't the same as ours. We only see one puzzle piece. he sees the big picture. The full battle plan and our mission on earth ends when we are called home. To heaven. The best place ever! And that's a summons I cannot wait for!
But I digress. Our questions aren't always answered the way we like. Our mission may take, to us, a turn for the worse.
I laugh when I'm not going through the crap. I laugh at how people can't seem to grasp that we only see one page in the book. We can't flip to the end, we can't skip the boring or terrifying parts.
We can simply take it to God and walk the path he has given us.
And in the case of friends and their struggles, take it to the Lord in prayer! Seriously guys! The mightiest weapon we have is prayer.
Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (NIV)
So no matter how rough or smooth, high or low, scary or comforting as the path we, our family member or friend faces is ... it's where God wants us and them. And honestly? What better place to be, then on the road of life with our Creator?
