Thoughts by Rachelle

Thought I would share some thoughts that went through my head today during my run.....

I was doing my normal run this morning (usually take the same route every morning), and as I turned a corner, I saw a Police car pulled over to the side behind a small SUV. At first I thought nothing of it - probably a routine pull over. There were cones put out just behind the cars. As I got closer, it became obvious that the SUV had crashed up over the curb and across the side walk into a tree. The gravel by the side walk was torn up, a bush was pulled out of the ground and a tree was over. The SUV was quite banged up in the front, although (and I don't know how), the driver appeared to be ok - was talking to the officer. So I passed by, thinking that was interesting. Then it started hitting me - if I had been there just a bit earlier (just at the "wrong" time), I could have been hit by the car as it came up on the side walk I run on. Or, it could have hit Keith who had just finished his run before me.

So I then started to think about why I did not get hit. Obviously, it was not God's plan and He protected me. We so often ask the question "Why did God let that bad thing happen to that person?", but how many times does God NOT allow that bad thing from happening? How often does God protect us and we don't even know it? Now why did God protect me today (or any other day)? Because He loves me? That may be part of it, but that is not the main reason for the short term protection (earthly protection), because I know God loves the people that die from these tragedies just as much as me. So love (in the way that we humans think of it) is not the answer. The only thing that makes sense to me is that it was not God's plan for me to die or be injured today, and when other "good" people die from tragedies, it WAS God's plan (yes, God's love, but much greater love than I think in). How wierd it is to think that people can die in tragedies because of God's love, but I think it may be so. It is not all about US but about HIM and HIS plan!

It is hard to imagine how terrible things can happen when God is in control. Yes, sin is in the world and is a powerful force, but God is still in control. One thought I had today is that God has an ETERNAL plan and we humans have a hard time thinking eternally. We think about love in earthly terms - we show love on earth by doing tangible earthly things. We want the people we love to be happy here on earth. God's love is so much bigger than this. So God can handle earthly tragedy when it is working for His eternal plan. I can't really grasp God's full love (it is beyond my comprehension), because it is so far beyond the earthly world I live in.

Just some thoughts....for whatever it is worth.....but after our discussion on Sunday, I thought I would share.

Rachelle