why bad things happen to good people

why do bad things happen to good people?

because bad things happen to all people. there is nothing about being good that prevents us from the circumstances of life.

most of the world suffers more than we do.

my grief was so intense when my daddy died in his 80's of parkinson's ( a really terrible disease). i lost my mother at 79 to alzheimers.. a disease that takes away who you are.

but how many people have lost their entire family in a single event? how many mothers lose their children to dysentery and other preventable disease?

every day people are killed in war torn countries, so many of them innocent people who are unable to leave. every day people die from hunger in famine stricken lands. every day children are born unwanted to addicted parents both poor and affluent. every day women and children are abused. every day children come to school hungry.

in my country, the news is full of mass shootings, too many times of children, even first graders.

are there no good people among those who are suffering so severely?

are we to be exempt from the natural disasters, diseases and man-made tragedies of our world?

as good people are we to rage at god for choosing us to suffer?

i say we should. we should also rage against the suffering of others.

the bible is full of those raging against god about their suffering. it is also full of imploring god for relief.

hannah begged god to cure her barrenness. sarah did not believe god's promise of a son. hannah not only had samuel, who was given to god. hannah had other children. sarah gave birth to her promised child. job raged against god at his suffering when his family was lost. he was given another family.

a friend of mine lost her only child at 15, a child longed for and welcomed with great joy. years later she adopted a son who brought that kind of love again into her home.

bad things happen to all people. good things happen to all people.

so what is the real question? the question is after the raging and the tears, where do we find ourselves?

are we ready for the good that is yet to come or do we end our living at the sorrow that is ours? do we accept both the good and the bad as part of the life we are given?

and finally do we grieve for the bad and give thanks for the good? do we use the bad of our suffering to give good to those who suffer in the world we live in?

the answer is not easy. but the answer determines who we are and what kind of life we have.