Life

Every day that I wake up, I am very grateful. I am alive and breathing. That is what I usually tell people when I say I am happy. Most often I get, it's better than the alternative. Truly it is. I have three little children who still need me around.

Life can be very complicated since you have relationships with other people. You cannot control them. You can't make them agree with you. You can't make them love you. Life is hard. When I think about the attacks on Paris recently, it reminded me of 9/11. It felt like time stood still as I watched the events unfold. The world now watched the events in Paris and looked to our leader to what will be done with the situation. Honestly, only God knows what will happen next. All of a sudden, people's Facebook profiles are covered with a French flag. Discussions of how people should be thinking or doing have popped up. I decided I didn't need a flag. I sent a prayer up for those who were directly affected and for the families of those who passed. But my faith still remains.

Why does God allow bad things to happen? I honestly believe it is because of free will. God didn't interfere with the situation in the garden. He allowed Adam and Eve to decide their fate. But he still intervened by sending his only son to die on the cross for us. But if you think about it, sin entered the world through Adam. Back then, the world was perfect. It said so in the Bible. But as years went on, sin started corrupting everything. Hence, the wars, famine, drought, etc...it affected everyone. Basically we are reaping what Adam sowed back in the garden when he fell from grace. God could have stopped the situation, but what would that have accomplished. We are living in the time where he is finding out who belongs to him. How firm is their resolve and how strong do they hold onto their faith. God is good, he is merciful, he is bigger than any problem or situation. But his picture for our life is bigger than we are. We are only offered a glimpse. I am grateful for the life that I have. People go through different things. It may look not that hard to others, but to the person experiencing the situation it can be the most difficult thing in the world. He does this to see how faithful we are. Do we run to him and ask him to lend his strength to us? Or do we brush him aside and tell him we can do it? Do we pray because we need his peace and comfort? Or do we just ignore him and find peace and comfort in something else?

God allows things to happen for a reason. Sometimes his reason doesn't align with ours. That is okay too. Things will continue to happen and that is because they have to happen.

 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:6-14 New International Version