Where is God in the midst of tragedy?

There are no great answers when tragedy hits. As a parent of a child who has been suddenly killed, you’re left sifting through the memories hoping for any shred of meaning, looking for anything to restore hope.

Some friends lost their boy last fall. Is it wrong that they should ask God, “Why?” or at least look for some sign, a dream, anything, that their boy is OK?

Last week, four of my daughter Estie’s classmates were killed in a horrible accident in Indiana. A semi crossed the center line and rammed the van head on. What I didn’t mention in the blog I wrote about it is that my daughter should have been in that van. That was the work crew that she is a part of. She wasn’t in the van because she was taking the semester off.

At the funeral of her friend Laurel this week, Estie was at peace. Laurel had recently told her mom, “If I die, don’t worry about me, I’m good.” Implying her faith in the Lord was solid, and she knew where she was going.

I don’t know why Laurel died and Estie lived. It does me little good to ask him “why?” What I do know, is that God doesn’t allow sacrifices to be wasted. He is constantly redeeming broken dreams. My job is to praise Him. Yes, that’s a much easier job for me, the father whose daughter lived. But if you look at my life, you’ll see that I am surrounded by a large number of people in great pain. Charles’ father is dying, Scott’s mom is struggling with terminal cancer, Cesar has kidney stones, Robert is dying, Mark’s brother just got sentenced to two years in jail, two of my children have struggled with depression this year, and a third is handicapped, living a hard, lonely life. Where is God in the midst of this ocean of pain and struggle?

All I know is that God is still on His throne. He has given me Estie for another season. With Paul, I have learned the secret! I have learned the secret of being content in all circumstances. God is trustworthy. He’s given me the option of beating my fists against His chest, but I’ve felt afresh His love for me, and I choose to hug Him instead.