I don't trust sentences that begin, "Robb died because..."
There is simply no good way to complete that sentence, and nobody can finish it with any assurance at all. Only God knows.
And maybe there isn't a 'because.' Unless the 'because' is the sin of a fallen, broken world.
Bad things happen to good people. Healthy men die young. Little boys are without a daddy. Nobody can put a label on it, an easy answer, "Oh, of course this is why." And I tread carefully around anyone who thinks otherwise.
There will be beauty from these ashes, but I don't believe God started the fire. He allowed it in his sovereignty, but he didn't start it.
Now, place 'because' in a different spot in the sentence, and we're dealing with a different sentence entirely.
"Because Robb died, ..."
There are many effects to that cause.
Some I love; some I despise.
Some are miraculous and supernatural; some are inexplicable.
Some are unveiled already; some remain to be seen.
Some bring joy; some bring heartache beyond words.
Some I am thankful for; some I don't care about yet. I may not ever, this side of heaven. So much of this is an atrocity, and every 'because' isn't enough.
Perhaps someday I will know more of the 'because.'
But the word is more powerful than one might think.
4 comments:
I believe the exact same thing you said. It rains on the just and the unjust~ God doesn't "cause" our pain, but allows it. He will be right there with you, holding your hand, each step of this difficult journey. He grieves over your loss and your boys' loss, too. His heart is broken for you all. You will grow closer to Him and in your faith as you walk this path . I still hate that you have this path set before you. I've watched four nieces lose their fathers (two brothers~ two teenaged daughters each left behind). It's not easy for them, even after 7 and 3 years respectively. But they do have joy in their lives~ "beauty in the ashes"~ just took some time. Be patient with yourself, your boys... and even the well-meaning (I hope) people that offer their ill-conceived "theories." There is no answer to why this happened to your family. God bless you and those beautiful little boys.
Thus says the Lord:
"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched
places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."
—Jeremiah 17:5-8
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
—Psalm 139:1-6
"There will be beauty from these ashes, but I don't believe God started the fire." What a great sentence! I like it. A lot.
Thanks Tricia for sharing your thoughts as you walk this path. It is encouraging and insightful.
Rachel Peteya
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