Life...

Sometimes the things that happen in our lives just don't seem to make sense. If you are like me, you have sometimes wondered, "why me?" Maybe a better question would be "why not me?" Just because we are Christians doesn't make us immune to life - with all its ups and downs. We don't often have a choice of events that happen to us. The choice does come in how we decide to react to the events in our lives. For illustration, allow me to quote Janette Oke in her book, Once Upon A Summer. The hero of the story, a young boy named Josh, just got his first dog and the next day Patches was kicked by a cow. His Aunt Lou (about five years older) comes in to comfort him.

I was fightin' an inward battle now. I was still angry and wantin' to strike back.
"He still didn't need to take my dog."
"Josh, God didn't take your dog. It was jest - Jest one of those things that happens, that's all."
"But He coulda stopped it."
Auntie Lou hesitated a moment as she carefully thought through her next words.
"Yes, He could have. He could let us go through all of our life, bundlin' us and shelterin' us from anything and everything that would hurt us. I could do that with my petunias, Josh. I could build a box around them and keep them from the wind and the rain, the crawlers and the bees. What would happen iffen I did that, Josh?"
I jest shrugged. The answer was too obvious.
"They'd never bear flowers," said Auntie Lou.
"Josh, I don't understand all about God, but there's one thing that I'm as sure of as the fact that I live and breathe. He loves us. He loves us completely, and always keeps our good in mind.
"I don't know how losin' your pup is for your good, Josh, but I am sure that it can be or God wouldn't have let it happen It's all up to you, Josh. Whenever something comes into our life that hurts us, we do the decidin' - do I let this work for my good, as God intended, or do I let bitterness grow like a bothersome canker sore in my soul?
"We love you, Josh - every one of us. We don't want to see you hurt. It's happened now. We can't change it, but don't give the hurt a chance to grow even bigger and destroy you. God loves you. He can help you with the hurt if you ask Him to; accept that even this can be for your good. Try, Josh. Please try."
Auntie Lou bent down and kissed me. Her cheeks were wet as they touched mine. She left the room.

So you have a decision, just like Josh does. Life will send you some tough blows, if it hasn't already, than be prepared. We still live in a sinful, human world. You can't control your situations, but you can control how you will react to those situations. You can decide to cast blame, either on God, others or yourself. You can allow yourself to grow bitter and ugly inside. Or you can ask God to take whatever you are going through and allow it to make you into a better, more beautiful person. The choice is totally up to you. Remember, God loves you completely and He can and will use each situation for your own good, if you let Him.

"Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3