In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." ~ Isaiah 25: 9 Yesterday as I spent time with a dear hospice patient who has become a friend over the last few months, I listened as she shared about several life events, and then asked, "You do believe that God always has a plan don't you?"
I have to admit at this point in my life, this is not the first time a question like this has been asked. My response, "Of course, but I don't always believe that it is the same plan than we live out in our life." I think we all know a little something about the ability to make choices. At times I find it very hard to understand what God's plan is, especially when you see someone like herself, dying from a disease that you don't have a clue, "Why her?" There has been a lot written about why "Bad Things Happen to Good People." I have come to the understanding that God doesn't sit back, waiting for some magical moment for us to encounter something like cancer. We live in an imperfect world, filled with poor choices, either by our own doing, or that of others. We live knowing that statistically our chances for certain diseases can happen because of what we choose to eat, where we live, and the history found in our genetic design. However, I still believe God has a plan when these things happen. God understood our need for the presence of God to be so real, that God made the choice to send Jesus into the world. It's so that both God and humanity better understand one another, and that through God's own Son that we might understand God's plan better. While we may not always understand why things happen, it is reassuring to know that God will never abandon us, even when we make a choice to do something that God has not planned for us. For God sent God's only Son into the world, so that we ALL might have eternal life. Now that's a real plan! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Comments are closed.
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AuthorRev. G. Todd Williams is the author of the book, "Remember Me When..." and is a former hospice chaplain and pastor. Archives
February 2024
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