He's God...He can handle it!!

There have been times in my life when I thought - for a moment - that maybe God was angry with me...that surely He wouldn't just allow certain things to happen just because! There has to be a reason, right? Have you ever pictured God as a big, gigantic wizard in Heaven who has a big zapper, and He's ready to ZAP you at any second?! Haven't we all thought of Him in such a way...that He's just ready to strike us if we mess up. That's what some of us have been taught, and it's what some of us have grown to believe because of certain circumstances in our life that seem to go hand in hand with the idea that we're being zapped or punished!

As a Christian, I know and believe that God does punish - that I must fear Him...not be scared of Him, but that I must respect His power and His might. I believe that there are times when God gets my attention by giving me challenges and hardships. However, I will not stand to believe that God is ready to ZAP me when I mess up! Unfortunately, our world is so broken. It's not how He planned it, but it's how it has ended up.

Lots of things in life are just not fair! The fact that my precious little girl had only half of a heart isn't fair! The fact that I cannot be with her is NOT FAIR! The fact that innocent people are killed in war isn't fair! The fact that over 200 people died in a plane crash this week isn't fair! Lots of things are not fair, and it makes life hard.

Just this week, dear friends of mine, Ginny and Robbie, have been faced with yet another unthinkable, unfair challenge. I met Ginny just over a year ago because she lost her precious baby boy at 21 weeks because of an incompetent cervix. We began meeting at each other's homes every other week just to support each other. Finally, Ginny got pregnant again, and was put on bedrest at 13 weeks until 37 weeks when her doctor told her she could start gaining her strength back. She was so excited to have made it that far! Then, the same week she got off of bedrest, her father died suddenly in the middle of the night. Exactly one week later, on April 30, she gave birth to another precious - and completely healthy - baby boy, Maddox! He came at a time when she and her family needed something to make them smile! Just as she and her husband were adjusting to parenthood, her husband went to the doctor with some concerns with his stomach. After several tests were given, Robbie just found out this week that he has cancer. He does not know what type of cancer yet, but he knows there is cancerous activity in his body. So, WHY GOD, WHY? Hasn't this poor family been through enough? Why can't they just enjoy their newborn baby boy without more hurt and devastation? They're great, Christian people. They're young and fun...Robbie's only 28.

Is it okay to question God? Some would say No. You know what, I disagree. I think it's perfectly human and expected that we question God. He is our Father. He created us for goodness sake. We're human, imperfect, tainted, and nothing without Him...so, why shouldn't we be able to question His ways? He's God, and He can handle it! He knows we hurt, and He knows that we do not understand. I think the closest I ever get to God is when I pour my heart out to him - the good, bad, and the ugly - and I do not keep one thought away from Him (not that I could, anyway!).

So, my advice is...Tell Him how you feel! He listens, He knows, He understands, and He's not there to ZAP you just because you let your guard down with Him and show Him your true, human emotions.

And, please...pray for Robbie, Ginny, their precious baby Maddox, that they would be comforted and strengthened during this time, and ultimately that Robbie would be healed! Thank you!