This week, if you will look over to your right ------->, you will see my "About Me" box. The last sentence in that box says, "And the ultimate goal is to put a smile on your face..." My thoughts this week, sadly, will not and should not bring a smile and that pains me more than you know. If you know me at all, I am all about that "smile." That said...
On Friday evening, April 12th, as I was grilling some burgers on our first night of camping, my youngest son, Shane, the 21 year old College Student, sent me a text. It said, "Need your wisdom." My reply was, "???." He then replied with, "Why do you think bad stuff happens?" My immediate reply back was, "WTH???." He came back with, "LOL-Just in general." Finally, I responded with, "I'm cooking... Good conversation for tomorrow night." Him and his girlfriend were coming to our camp-site for dinner Saturday and to hangout for a while.
Obviously, that particular question does not have an easy answer. And over the course of the past week or so, there have been two major events in our Country that have "Rocked our World" and gained our attention. Certainly, in both instances, Shane's question is apropos. That he asked it just days prior to the aforementioned events is crazy, scratch your head, timing.
Three days following Shane's question, on April 15th, the 117th Edition of the Boston Marathon, a huge annual event that had over 27,000 participants, was hit with two explosions near the finish line, a seemingly Terrorist Attack by two men, that has thus far killed 3, including an 8 year old boy, and injured at least 170, many of them, very seriously. The two individuals responsible for the attack have since (1) been killed, and the other, apprehended. Bravo to the Boston area Law Enforcement for a "Job Well Done" by very quickly bringing closure to the case.
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| The Scene shortly after the two Bombs Exploded... |
Two days later, on April 17th, a fire and, ultimately, a major explosion rocked a Fertilizer Plant in West, Texas, near Waco. So far, 14 have been killed, mostly 1st Responders, and as many as 200 were injured. Further, the blast destroyed at least 50 homes in the immediate area. It has since been reported that Owners of the plant had been storing 1,350 times the amount of Ammonium Nitrate that would normally trigger safety oversight, without notifying officials as they are required to do. In other words, the Company failed to heed "Disclosure Rules." The blast is still under investigation at this time.
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| A depiction of the surrounding area, shortly after the Plant Explosion... |
So much devastation and the resulting deaths and hardships are just incomprehensible and difficult to understand. My thoughts and prayers are certainly with these families and their loved ones. I just feel so saddened by it all. The picture (not shown here) of the 8 year old little boy, standing there at the Marathon, waiting for his Dad to cross the finish line is absolutely gut-wrenching, knowing now what was about to happen. As a former Fireman, seeing Firefighters and 1st Responders killed in the "Line of Duty" certainly tugs at my heartstrings.
And so, getting back to Shane's question... "Why do you think bad stuff happens?" How does one answer that. Is there a correct answer??? Is there an answer that is acceptable to most rational thinking people??? My first reaction when I saw the text was that it is Biblical, that it dates back to sin. I asked Donna for her thoughts. She expressed that, in her opinion, it goes back to the original sin. That once sin entered into the world, bad things would and do happen. But she is also of the opinion that when bad things happen, there can be good that comes from it. Kind of like the "Silver Lining" that is often referred to when bad things have happened. Because of one's Faith, there is hope. It is an extremely difficult question to answer, I think, without getting deeply into the Bible Scriptures, which I am not going to do here. But I am convinced that the answer(s) are certainly within the Bible.
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| The above quote from this Dancer is so very INSPIRING!!! |
What is in a man's heart, his very core, that he could walk through a crowd of innocent people, there to celebrate an event... men, women, and children, and drop a back-pack to the ground that contains a bomb that will surely cause death and carnage? What goes through the mind of an owner of a business that is bound by Rules of Safety and said owner blatantly ignores those rules, knowing full well that the safety of his/her employees, not to mention the future of his/her business, are at risk? I don't have answers for these two questions.
I did find an article from a Christian Perspective, written in 2011, by Jack Wellman... and in the article, one paragraph states the following:
John 6:44 reveals that “bad things” may be God’s way of drawing us to Himself. It is a fallen world. Ever since Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, God has left man to decide for himself good and evil and the results have been catastrophic. Creation groans under the travail of sin and corruption waiting to be restored when the children of God are born to eternal life (Rom 8:22).
I found this as well on Yahoo! Answers...
No matter what happens to us, God is able to take it and use it for our good—if we let Him. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery and told his father he was dead—but instead of being bitter or depressed, Joseph put his life into God's hands. As a result, God used him to save Egypt from famine. Later, after the brothers were reunited, Joseph told them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
Now, that's pretty interesting stuff. Do you have any ideas??? Feel free to drop a comment below. To be honest, I'm more comfortable with trying to put a smile on your face. But Shane's question was worth exploring.
Takin' it "To the House"
Music #1: This week, in honor of the Boston Tragedy, I have selected a tune from the Band also known as Boston, where they originated. This tune, from 1978, is absolutely my favorite from them. A Man I'll Never Be... A powerful song with an awesome lead guitar display. I hope you'll give it a listen. Video on You Tube courtesy of biarritz59...
Music #2: On Tuesday of this week, My "Little Bride," My "Woman," the "Love of my Life," had a Birthday!!! So, as a tribute to her Special Day, I want to share this tune from the Beatles. From 1968, off of the White Album, Birthday... Happy Birthday, Baby.
Music #2: On Tuesday of this week, My "Little Bride," My "Woman," the "Love of my Life," had a Birthday!!! So, as a tribute to her Special Day, I want to share this tune from the Beatles. From 1968, off of the White Album, Birthday... Happy Birthday, Baby.
Market Watch: This week, slight improvements... Facebook edged upwards to close yesterday at 26.14, while the Dow continued it's recent hearty climb, closing yesterday at over 14,700.
The End: Another week in the books as we roll toward #52. Thank You so much for stopping by. I hope to see you back again next week. Til then...
Be safe, be smart, and always Smile... It's "Happy Friday"
adios... vaya con dios
Hard question, and perhaps an even harder answer. You were right however that it lies within the Bible, as does every answer to every question under the sun. The difficult task it discerning it because it isn't explicit, but rather vague and not all comforting.
ReplyDeleteThe easy answer is yes, effects of original sin. Birth pangs. (Roman 8:22) But then another question arises. Why the first sin, which was far worse than any news headline you will ever see? After all we serve an all powerful God who could have stopped the recent horrible events and the first sin, so now the question is why did he allow all those things to happen?
In the book of Genesis there's a story of Jacob being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Years later Joseph rises out of slavery into Power in Egypt. A seven year famine hits his family and they journey to Egypt for food for survival where Joseph is now in powe and saves his family. In Gen 5:20 Joesph says to his brother "what you meant for eveil, God meant for good"
So there is one answer I think, he uses our evil and turns it for good, even though we often may not see it on this side of eternity.
Another Scripture that I think gives the best answer is Romans 9:22-23
"What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—"
Not the easiest answer, but we must remember its His glory always, by any means necessary. We can never subject His reasoning to our judgement.
Isaiah 55:8-9"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
We are going to need a Biblical category in our brain to submit that God can will sin to happen without sinning or being the author of sin.
Thanks for posting this, it forces us to elevate our minds to etrnity, and I can always appreciate that. I will leave you with a comfort text :)
Romans 8:28 and we know that all those who love God that all things work together for good ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
J.Bond
Hey J... What a nice surprise. Thanks for stopping by. You have made some good points here. I find it interesting that we both used the "Joseph" example. Take care, Slu
DeleteYes, I think all answers to questions are in the bible, the only problem is the translation. Many religions use the same bible, but don't see passages the same. So, I won't say anything about which religion is right in translation, the main thing is that we all believe in God and unite to keep religion in our schools and government. Have a great week. cuz
ReplyDeleteHey cuz... Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I absolutely agree that we need it in our Schools. Back at ya, cuz
DeleteI would only say that in response to the West explosion, nitrogen fertilizer is applied at varying rates depending on crop and soil conditions that may be as high as 100#/acre, so enormous quantities are delivered to apply to area farmland at the beginning of the growing season. The oversight mentioned is a DHS requirement and has nothing to do with EPA, OSHA, USDA, FDA, Rairoad Commission, Fire Marshall etc. and reporting would not have prevented this event. The most likely cause should probably be attributed to failure to follow industry "best practices" ie: sprinklers, blast containment walls, etc. Do not mean to nitpick but thought passing that along might help bring some clarity.
ReplyDeleteHey yo: Nit Pick all you want. Not a problem. I was "borrowing" from an article that I read regarding the explosion. I do not disagree with what you have "brought to the table," however, I stand by what I wrote and I am still dismayed at the "lack" of compliance by the owner(s) of this particular plant.
DeleteThanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again. Have a great day, Slu
OK, then I will. Though we are admittedly getting away from the thrust of your post. The "violation" cited is a DHS matter only. It has nothing whatsoever to do with plant safety, but is instead intended to let Homeland Security know what possible explosives a business stocks for terror related tracking. The failure to report last year's inventory to DHS alone is what has been brought up in the media. A little sensationalizing if you will. The inventory is temporary and highly mobile as it is consumed quickly. "Best Practices" is what would have prevented this disaster, not the lack of reporting inventory to Homeland Security. The owners were negligent for not protecting the safety of the community while their inventory was in their warehouse by not following "Best Practices" and will be held accountable for that. The DHS "violation" is really not even related except to pile on.
ReplyDeleteAnd to everything you just stated: I would reiterate my last sentence of the explosion paragraph...
Delete"The blast is still under investigation at this time."
Again, I appreciate your input and your presence on my Blog. Slu
Hi Slu!
ReplyDeleteFirst, Happy Birthday to your beautiful Donna. I hope you were able to eat some kind of gluten free masterpiece :)
Second, the happenings of the week were awful. I have an eight year old boy. I was furious that I had to try and explain such an atrocity to him. "Why?" is a never ending question at our house. The silver lining for us was that I have an 8 year old. Still. I am able to hold him and tell hime I love him; unlike that poor family in Boston. The only thing we can take from those tragedies are the people who made differences for good. The responders in both cases that ran back. The people who held each other up. THey were reminders that there are so many more good things in this world.
Third, Thanks for your service to our country. THose first responders are nothing short of heroes.
Finally, the lions picked up a defensive tackle to add to our kickers and Reggie Bush. Now we just need someone to catch a pass...How did the draft go for you you?
Happy Weekend, Man
-MM
Double M... Birthday Dinner: Tomorrow (Sunday) with the Kids at the Cheesecake Factory. Hopefully, a GF menu...
DeleteYour "Second"... Seeing the pic of that 8 year old boy just breaks my heart. Looking at that scene is a "you just never know" moment. Things have gotten so crazy and sometimes, it's scary. We recently went to the movies and Donna could not stop "people watching."
Your "Third"... Thanks!!!
The Texans... All things considered, I think we had a pretty good Draft. I'm happy.
Y'all have a great week, Slu
Very interesting what you wrote about and I've still got my thinking cap on, so I'm gonna have a go by attempting to answer. Just hope I can put my thoughts into words.
ReplyDeleteI believe that God has given us free choice and sometimes we create our own bad situations and then run to God when things go wrong. For example: the Boston bombers incident where many were killed/injured. Now, if people find God after this happened, do we say that God created that particular incident to bring people to him? If so, did he also set up 9/11, and the bombings in London too then? the list can be endless.
I totally get the scriptures being used but I feel there is a big difference between God creating a situation in the biblical context to show us something in making a point back then, and God being a partaker of such horrors now in order to lead us to him, after giving us free choice to choose who we wish to serve. On the flip side, if God intervened every 5 minutes in everything bad that was to happen, we also wouldn't have free choice as every bad action we did would be stopped, in fact I'm not sure if sin would be able to play it's part. I'm not very good at explaining this but I know what I mean. It was 'men' who created both the bombing and Texas explosions and they are responsible with consequences. If people choose to run to God because of it, then so be it. Some will also hate God for not intervening at their command.
You've really got me thinking now Slu, have a lovely weekend.
Oh, almost forgot to say Happy Birthday to your love. :)
DeleteRPD... My Man: While I contemplate my response to your comments from above, let me 1st say that I will absolutely convey to my "Little Bride" your BD wishes. Thanks so much, Slu
DeleteRPD... The question, in and of itself, is a very difficult question to answer and I don't know that I have an answer that is sufficient, to be honest.
DeleteIt certainly allows for debate... I think I understand what you are trying to convey. But, yes, it is difficult, albeit interesting.
As usual, thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great week, Slu
Why DO these awful things happen? If we assume God exists and that He is good - how does this help us to put suffering into place? Step 1 - A good God created the world and called it good, only to have it royally messed up by the humans He invented. Step 2 - God, never having created the mess, yet being good, got involved personally, launching a bold plan in which His Son takes on Himself all blame and responsibility (again, for a mess He did not create) in order to BE a good God, one who works on behalf of His creation. The problem of evil as existing within His own creation is bad enough - but there is also an evil being who is at work prompting and orchestrating all the evil he can possibly do in order to prove that this good God is NOT good. Why do bad things happen? We live in a world at war, gripped in a cosmic battle of good vs. evil. The potential for good and evil lives within each of us, breathes in our daily choices, pours out of our hearts as either acts of grace, or acts of horror - or somewhere on the spectrum between. For reasons I don't always understand, God allows free choice - and then, typical of who He is, He steps into history to redeem what has gone wrong. I can speak to the redemptive power in my own life - I wish I could tell you all that He has changed within ME as I seek to recover from evil done to me personally. And while He did not cause the pain and harm and horror, God is once again moving in to be good, restoring me in ways you couldn't possibly imagine, weaving in beauty and dignity and hope! And since I have walked this difficult road myself, I will be able to reach back to those left behind, drawing them out of their pain toward this restorative God! I wish evil and pain and trauma did not exist. But it does. I have learned not to ask 'Why did this happen?' but 'What are we going to do about it?' The highest calling in life is love - to reach out to those walking through pain. How will we live in this true calling of love, if we have not walked this road ourselves? After all - Jesus Himself walked the road of suffering first - HE paved the way, and triumphed! (My apologies for the long novel - can you tell this is a topic I am passionate about??) Thanks for the great question, Slu...
DeleteMelody... Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate you taking the time to come visit. It means a lot. As usual, an awesome response.
DeleteHave a great week, Slu
Hi Slu,
ReplyDeleteGlad you found me via Google+ because it allowed me to find you and I will definitely be back. First, happy birthday to Donna! And the whole "why do bad things happen" is a hard one for sure. I struggle with this mostly because my 3 year old is probably autistic and definitely language delayed. How will I explain these things to him in a way that he can accept? It's hard. Sounds like you and your son had a pretty awesome conversation though, which is wonderful.
Happy Sunday!
Hey Kristi... So glad you stopped by.
DeleteOne of the things that attracted me to your Blog was the relationship with your son. I now work part-time as a Manager in the Transportation Office of an ISD (School Buses). Although I no longer drive a bus on a regular basis, I do continue to fill in when the need arises. Every now & again, that means driving the Special Needs Bus. The majority of the students have autism, so I have seen up close how wonderful these kids are. They are a joy to be around. But, like you say, they have their moments. Ha...
Thank you for the Birthday wishes. Yes, this is a tough subject. And I hope you will be back. Have a great day, Slu
I saw you linked up at Sincerely Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog hop, and came to visit. I'm following now too.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very insightful post, and I think it goes to the heart of everyone now while we're still reeling over the recent and very tragic events.
Your thoughts about the very heart of a man who could do such an act is chilling to consider. I don't know that heart, and I'm glad that I do not. The photo you put up of the dancer is very inspiring. Kudos to her for being part of the silver lining.
Thank you so much for stopping by... Welcome & Thanks for the follow.
DeleteI do not know, nor understand, that heart as well. It's beyond me. I saw that photo of the dancer and knew instantly I wanted to use it. I sincerely hope she dances again.
Have a great week, Slu
I have asked myself this question many, many times after the series of losses that have occurred in my family--especially in recent years----and my first reaction is always anger at God...until I remember that old saying that "God doesn't give us more than he thinks we can handle." I think that when bad things happen, those with a pure and good heart are the stronger ones and they have that innate ability to turn tragedy into gain by using the experience to help others. It's a hard concept to grasp when you are in the midst of a storm and suffering--but that is only because you can't see the larger picture......you have to know that something good will come of it. That's what we call hope.
ReplyDeleteDouble M (#2)... Very well said!!! So sorry for your losses.
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by. Have a great week, Slu
Hi Stephen!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking a look at my blog, linking up and for the follow...I'm now your newest GFC follower :)
What a thought provoking post you have here..good work :)
If you participate in Wordless Wednesday my party will open tomorrow afternoon!
Paula
lifeasweknowitbypaula.blogspot.com
And Thank You as well... Very happy to have you visit and I hope you'll be back at some point. Kinda diggin' the parties: I have already made a few new friends and that's always nice.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Slu
The why's are always difficult to answer!!
ReplyDeleteIndeed Nina, they are...
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Slu