Readers, I didn't write this, but I liked it enough to share it with you. I think you'll like it, too.
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Me: God, can I ask You a question?
God: Sure.
Me: Promise You won't get mad.
God: I promise.
Me: Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do you mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late.
God: Yes.
Me: My car took forever to start.
God: Okay.
Me: At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait.
God: Hmmm.
Me: On the way home my phone went dead just as I picked up a call.
God: Alright.
Me: And on top of it all, when I got home I just wanted to soak my feet in my new foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
God: Well, let Me see, the Death Angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.
Me: Oh ...
God: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed)
God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what she had; I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me: (embarrassed) Okay ...
God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give you false information; I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be protected.
Me: (softly) I see, God.
God: Oh, and that foot massager ... it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I’m sorry, God.
God: Don't be sorry; just learn to trust Me ... in all things, the good and the bad.
Me: I will trust You.
God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is always better than your plan.
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank You for everything today.
God: You're welcome, child. It was just another day being your God, and I love looking after My children.
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I liked it. The notion that God has protected us from things we will never realize is marvelous, really.
I suspect, however, that if I was God, I would have responded differently. "Are you asking Me about when you woke up late in that bed I provided and when the car I provided that so many on the planet don't have didn't start on your cue? Did you really want to ask Me about that the sandwich that took longer than 5 minutes when millions don't get sandwiches? Do you really want to know about a phone that you've never thanked me for or about a foot massager (of all things), a luxury you don't recognize? Are you sure these are the questions you want to ask? 'Cause I can tell you, but I'm almost baffled by these shallow problems you're bringing up."
I suppose that might be the reason that my kids don't ask me these kinds of questions, eh?
4 comments:
You could have answered with a question... like "Where you, O man, when I formed the foundations of the earth"?
Actually, that's kind of what I had in mind.
Back in June the radio news said that wildfires in Colorado were destroying forests and manmade structures, a drought was causing farmers problems in the Midwest and would be raising the price of agricultural products, and root pests were evolving resistance to pesticide, ruining corn in Illinois. I wondered if any Christians were praying about these things.
Is it your contention that these three things were actually for the best, if only we could understand them comprehensively? Or that the first two were for the best, while the third was a false story because God does not even let evolution happen? Instead of having prayed that God would intervene in these matters, were you best off simply thanking Him that these things were going on?
Let me see if I understand your question. In your view, 1) there is no god, but, 2) there is a "best" which you haven't defined but is definitely not fires, drought, or root pests. 3) If there were such a being as "God", He would certainly make the effort to conform our world to your version of "best".
I won't try to draw out from you on what you base "good" or "best" with no universal "good" to offer. I would contend that we have a short view and 1) we quite often don't know what "best" is 2) let alone "good". Thus, while Christians are certainly praying about these things, it doesn't mean that God will do what Christians ask, but that God will do what is best for His purposes.
By the way, I was unaware that "God does not even let evolution happen". Interesting claim. I've never made it. I don't know anyone who has. But I come from a very limited group that operates on a biblical worldview without wild conjecture or fanciful guesses. ;)
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