Everything Doesn't Happen For A Reason Part 2

I wanted to clarify my earlier post a little bit.  I do believe that God is in control. I do believe that God has a plan. I believe that God works for the good of those who love Him.  I just don't believe that everything happens for a specific reason.  This post was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend of mine. He is a contract worker and his job has been put on hold for an unknown amount of time.  He doesn't know if he'll get paid in a week, month, or even a year. It's a tough situation for him.  When we met he was driving himself crazy trying to figure out the reason why this would happen.  This line of thinking led him to one of two conclusions...

1. I've done something wrong and I deserve what has just happened. He didn't know what he did but he was scared that he had somehow upset God and God was punishing him. 
2. God has done this to teach me a lesson. He kept wanting to know why God would allow this to happen to him.  He was focused on finding out the why and my concern was that it would lead to anger at God. 

Saying that everything happens for a reason can lead a person to believe that God caused the tragedy or pain.  Did God allow it...yes. Did God cause it...I don't think so. 

It would be like this...a parent buys their child a brand new puppy.  He does so out of love and because the child had been asking for one for a long time.  After a few weeks the parent decides they would like to teach their kid a lesson.  So the parent lets the dog out into the street and watches the dog get hit by a car. Now the parent wants the child to learn the reason but he never communicates that with them. He just hopes the child will find out the reason and understand.  The child then leaves confused. Why did my parent cause this to happen? Did I do something to make them mad?

I'm not saying I'm right on this matter, and one day I may change my belief.  I just think to tell someone that something bad happened for a reason is insensitive.  To my understanding I would say God works more like the following...

A parent buys their child a brand new puppy.  He does so out of love.  After a few weeks the dog escapes outside.  It wasn't on purpose. No one intentionally caused it to happen, but because of free will the dog ran into the street and died.  At this moment the parent holds their child, comforts them, and when the time is right maybe even teaches them about how fragile life truly is.  When the child asks why this happened the parent doesn't give them an answer. Instead the parent loves them through the difficult situation.  One day down the road the parent shows the child how they can learn from this awful situation. Even though the child is sad they find comfort in knowing that their parent is there for them. 

What's the reason for...

• children to be born with birth defects
• a man's wife and daughter die in the exact same week
• cancer taking some one's life
• a man working hard his whole life to be fired for a young up and comer
• a young teen being sexually abused by a relative
• a child losing both his legs in a mowing accident.  A few years later he and his mom are killed in a car accident

The above are all real life examples that I've been around.  My point is that instead of trying to figure out the reason we should search for God.  When we find God in the midst of suffering He gives us a joy that surpasses all understanding.  When we draw near to God He shows us how He can use the tragedies of our lives to make us stronger.  When we draw near to God He shows us how He was there for us in the midst of the pain.