Do You Hear Me God?

Sometimes, in our finite minds, we realize there is no explanation. Bad things happen but when they happen to us or to those we love — we seek, we question and we search for answers that are not there. Our faith tells us that although we may not understand now, God has a plan and one day it will be revealed. Platitudes such as this are not comforting to us because senseless things do not nourish our faith. Often the opposite is true. Is it possible to come to terms with tragedy and sorrow and find strength to continue believing that an all-loving omnipotent being cares for us and for our sufferings? And we struggle with that bit of doubt in our faith, worrying that if we feel that doubt, it may take root and grow in our very being.

But we are changed. We must decide what that change will be, for the better or otherwise. Both options are open. We know bad things happen to good people and many of those people are able to use adversity and grow to become shining examples of heroic virtue. They may even take on a persona of saintly qualities that lead others to become better persons. Their strength attests to their undying faith. Others tend to let the adversity fester until it becomes a malignancy, spouting evil and spreading hatred in life. Their life becomes an open wound so everyone will see their anger and despair. The two choices are there.

Conventional wisdom tells us that time will soothe the pain and reveal the purpose of our suffering but time is the one thing with which we do not want to deal. Family and friends will help with the pain by sharing it, but not by taking it away completely. Prayer will help, not only when used as a vehicle for anger, but also for the solace that comes with putting feelings into words. Wounds can heal, and when they do, we are changed in the process, but the scars remain. We did not cause the bad thing to happen; that choice was not up to us. What we do with the change in our lives resulting from any sorrow can make us whole again. Because with each sorrow and tragedy, we soon realize that we are not alone, our God hears our voice.

In my distress I called out: LORD!

I cried out to my God.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry to him reached his ears. Psalms 18:7