"WHY, LORD?"

Romans 8:23-28
23 We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Early in her career, meteorologist Terri DeBoer was a TV reporter in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When five teenage girls who were walking home from school were plowed into by a teenage boy who had lost control of his car, it was her job to contact family members to see if they had any statement.

We've all seen TV reporters who seem to pounce on a grieving family, saying, "How do you feel?" It makes you want to scream, "Will you just leave them alone!" Terri didn't relish the assignment either.

Normally, when people became angry at what they perceived to be insensitivity, she would simply apologize and walk away. Yet she also came to realize that sometimes a family wanted to talk, wanted others to know more about the one they loved and not simply the way she died.

When she hesitantly knocked on the first door, a man with obviously red-brimmed eyes said, "Yes, we would like to say something. Our daughter loved Jesus with all her heart and had accepted Him as her Savior. Our hearts are breaking. We miss her so much. But we know that we will see her again. And we take comfort in that."

Terri, who had been raised in a family that had never gone to church, was amazed. Her incredulity continued as she visited the next four houses. Each of the girls' families had similar responses. All five girls had known Jesus as their Savior! As their families faced the nightmare of their deaths, they were able to find peace, comfort, and even joy in the faith of their daughters.

That experience was the beginning of Terri DeBoer's own spiritual awakening. God used the testimony of those parents to start Terri on her journey of faith. Not long after that, she too received Jesus as her personal Savior.

Although we cannot always know the "whys" of life, we can trust that God is not only aware of our suffering, but He's in control of the situation (Romans 8:28). And in His perfect plan He uses our heartbreak for His glory. --Cindy Kasper

DESTINATION POINTS

• What questions do I have for God? When have I asked God "why" but not really understood His answer?
• Does God discourage me from asking, "Why, Lord?"

LINKS:
"Why, God, Why?"
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2004/005/14.34.html

bottom line: Faith in God helps us find victory in tragedy.

soul journey