The question of WHY?

Death surrounds us every day.

We step on a bug.

We see animals in the road.

We watch each fall as leaves fall off the ground and turn brown.

We watch as a flower loses its petals.

So why is it that death shocks us to the core?

Why is it that when someone dies "too soon" we cannot wrap our minds around it?

There are countries right now facing such torment and death that it is part of every day life for them.  They are in constant fear of dying while they are living.

Is it because in our American culture where we have not faced such atrocities or because we have more life-saving medicines and techniques we do not experience death in volumes as much as other countries?  Do we think we are more immune?

This year I have experienced a lot of deaths compared to other years.  I wrote about two of them in this post from February.  (What I found was interesting as I went back to find the post, it was exactly 6 months to the date of what I am sharing now.)

Death has visited again twice in the last six weeks.

In the middle of July, we lost a youth from church who was Wesley and Mikayla's age.  He had fought cancer hard and his body could hold out no longer.

He was ready to go Home.  And he did.

That was hard on the kids.  It was hard on the adults.  It was hard as a parent because you wanted to hold your own children and never let them go.

We learned to go on as a church family.  The grieving process was and is still there as we remember, but we moved on into life again.

Yesterday, we were dealt another blow.  

A young girl, who used to go to our church and was a Senior at my school, died in a car accident.

I had taught her.... as so many of our teachers had.  She had been at school since Kindergarten.

It was surreal.  I could not wrap my mind around it.

I still can't.

That question comes up again that so often does at this time in life ~ WHY?

Why would the Lord allow a 14 year old boy die from cancer?

Why would the Lord allow a 16 year old girl die in a car accident?

I do not have an answer to that question.... and probably never will.

Death is part of life.  

At times such as these it is easy to get angry with God.  I do believe God understands our human emotions and allows us to voice them, such as how Job did during his trials.

However, one thing we must remember is that God is good.

Today at church it was AMAZING at how the Lord orchestrated the songs and the message... all had been preplanned before the news of this young life gone.

Let me share what I learned:

"You cannot rest in situations of life, but you can rest in the Savior."

Trials are a way of life.

Here are three truths that help in time of trials....  the times of WHY?

He spoke from James 1:1-5.

1.  Rejoice in the Providence of God.
We cannot rejoice in the problem... we can rejoice in God's Providence.
The pain is there.  It is hard to bear.  We cling to the Lord knowing He is in control.

2.  Remember the Purpose of God.
We are going through a process of perfection.  When God is working in our trials He is perfecting us to be more like Christ.
Christ suffered and died.
He understands pain and suffering whether we want to believe that or not in our humanness.

3.  Rely on the Promises of God.
The Bible is full of God's promises.  Those promises never say that life will always be good, always turn out the way we want, or never have death.
He promises that He will be with us every step of our life on earth and will never leave us or forsake us.
Whether we are 95... or 14... or 16.


One last thing the pastor spoke on this morning that has had me chewing is this:

"When you're building stronger muscles, you put more weight on.  You don't put on less.  

When you want more endurance, you increase the time.  You don't lessen the time.

Why are we so surprised when God adds more to our faith?"

As I said above, I do not have all of the answers.  I do not understand why these deaths had to happen.  I cannot comprehend what those families are going through at this time.

Cry tears.  Grieve.  

Anger may rise to the surface because it hurts.

Through it all, remember to trust God's promises. 

He always keeps His promises.

Even in the darkest of days He is there.  

He is holding us.  

He will never let us go.

Psalm 34:1-8

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice. 

O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. 

I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!