So often we get so caught up in trying to figure things out, and alot of times we try to do it alone. I myself have questioned several things. Some of them don't make a lick of sense, and just make me dumber in the end. However, I have debated many things that have made me a stronger, smarter, and all around better person. Here is a list of the most common things i've wondered.
-What did I come to the kitchen for?
-What makes this food taste so good?
-What would be good for supper?
-How am I going to work out this problem in the shortest way possible?
-Why are we required to take three science classes in order to graduate high school?
-What point is this piece of scripture trying to make?
This last one I'm about to mention is something many people, including myself, have spent hours upon hours of thinking trying to figure out...
-Why can things so bad, so tragic happen in my life to people around me when God is supposed to be loving, compassionate God?
If you haven't figured it out, I once doubted God's love for me and everyone else because of things that have happened in my life. Things I couldn't really understand before I really came to know Christ. Tragedies are going to happen, whether we like it or not. I've lost many friends, including a cousin to automobile wrecks. We aren't promised a peaceful death, the only sort of death we are promised is death itself. Nothing more, nothing less.
It was May 26th, 2007. I was fresh out of middle school, ready for summer! I was on the phone late one night just getting my charm on, when I got a call from my aunt on the other line. She was obviously in tears and torn up about something, I had no idea what was going on. At first, I thought something had happened to my 70+ year old grandmother. My Aunt demanded to talk to my dad, so I took him the phone. As I stood in the living room, waiting on dad to get off the phone, I noticed a change in his appearance. His skin had become pale and his eyes were spread wide. After about another minute or so, Dad tells mom and I that my cousin Malia had just been killed in a car accident. All faith I had in God was diminished. If He truly loved me, then why did He take my 16 year old cousin?
After the phone call, my dad and mom packed and started heading out the door to go to my aunts house. I didn't think I could handle being there, so I called my other aunt, and asked if I could come over and stay the night. As soon as I walked through the door, I saw my cousin Drake standing there. I had held in any sort of tear, until Drake hugged me, then I lost it. I still doubted God, but his hug seemed to provide me with comfort.
It wasnt until a few months later that I truly realized how significant Drake's hug meant to me after my cousin passed on. I had started to understand how God works in our lives, but I wasn't 100% clear about everything. I still didnt understand how we could be comforted by God calling one of our family members home at a young age. I was sitting at home one day just thinking about everything and finally it hit me! That hug Drake gave me wasnt a "Drake hug!" It was a hug from God. (Drake if you are reading this I am not calling you God!) Drake has never been a person to be emotional about anything. I'm not sure how I didn't catch on sooner, but I realized God was trying to show me His comfort through the one person who could really touch my life at the time. The comfort that just warms you up inside and makes you humble. The sort of comfort that you want to continuously feel. That is what God can provide you with if you just let Him into your heart.
Bad stuff can happen, but God never changes. He will continue to show his love even when we doubt His existence. We can sit here and play 21 questions with God all you want, but guess what, His answers always lead to one point. He is the real deal, the almighty, all loving God.
In scripture, you will find many things in the book of Matthew called the "Beautitudes." My favorite of these is Matthew 5:4. I found this verse not long after Malia's death and I've found it to be true without a doubt in my mind. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted!" Some of us find God's comfort and love in times of tragedy and mourning, and some of us just feel His love anyway. Just always keep in mind that God does love you, and He doesn't want you to suffer, but His plan in our lives is so much sweeter than we can even imagine. Everything He does has a purpose! A purpose we can't question!
RIP Malia Brooks Robertson
February 5, 1991-May 26, 2007
I Love You and Miss You!!
