God, Rita and You

Please pray for everyone in the path of Rita. It seems wrong somehow for us to be safe over here when so many people we love and care about are in harm's way. We are praying for each and every one of you. Please let us know how you are after the hurricane. The blog is open to anyone to comment for a limited time, so anyone can post a note.

It is confusing how there could be a loving God who knows each of us and yet things like Katrina and Rita happen. This is, I believe, one of the hardest things to reconcile in the Christian life. I know God loves each of us and wishes us only well. I know that God does have a final say over what happens and that often miracles occur. But often they don't, at least in a way we would recognize as a miracle, or in an outcome we would pray for. God is in control and yet sometimes awful things happen to innocent people. I'm puzzling over this question and yet still praying for a miraculous result to Rita. Keep looking for the everyday, easily mistaken miracle in your day and keep praying.

One partial answer to this came to us during our battle with cancer. That is that we are not bodies who happen to have spirits, but spirits who happen to have bodies. This home is not our final destination. Nothing will be perfect here on Earth, but will be in Heaven. We are meant to have something more to yearn for and to desire. God is not the author of bad things and pain, but does give us, if we ask, strength to grow from the setbacks and become the person we are meant to be. This is not fun, but it is a possible outcome of suffering.

This is only a partial answer and I still search for a more complete answer. In the meantime, please be careful and know that you are prayed for and you are loved - by us, but more importantly, by God.