Why Did God Do That?

We teach our kids that God is in control of everything.  He can be trusted.  He protects us.  He provides for us.  He loves us without fail.  He knows every hair on our head and He is concerned with our daily lives.  So it is only natural that Jadon would ask the other night, “Daddy, why did God hit the hospital with the tornado?” (speaking of the Joplin, MO tornado that devastated not only the local hospital, but the entire town).  Wow!  Good question, buddy.  I love how he is getting old enough to have such thoughts and question the circumstances around him.

So you probably want to know how Marcel answered him, right?  How do you explain to a 5 year old mind that God is in control of everything, but His will is not always displayed in everything??  I firmly believe God is good all of the time.  He is the same God yesterday, today and forever.  Bad things happen.  Bad things do not discriminate between “good” people and “bad” people.  They simply happen and no where in the bible does it promise the Christian life as one without hardship.  The truth is we live in a fallen world where the devil has many chances to steal, kill and destroy.  It is his mission.  So when hardship hits, he salivates at the chance to weaken someone’s faith or destroy it all together.  Let me be clear that I don’t think questioning things is a sign of weak faith.  God can handle our questions and doubt.  If He couldn’t, then He wouldn’t have made us with the capacity to think.  We would simply be robots serving a master (He does not call us servants, but friends).        

I too have many questions when bad things like tornados happen.  It’s devastating to see loss, destruction and intense heartache.  I’m not going to pretend that I have every question answered, but I have resolved to want God more than I want answers.  It is in those moments that the peace that surpasses all understanding creeps in and soothes the soul.

As an answer to Jadon’s question, Marcel simply said, “Buddy, God did not want that tornado to hit the hospital.  He cares very much for those people and now He wants us to pray for them.”  That simple answer was enough to satisfy the curiosity and show that God’s will can always be boiled down to two things; love God and love people.  He who is in us is so much greater than he who is in the world.  Even in the midst of destruction.  I’ll leave you with a favorite quote of mine:

Peace is not the absence of trouble.  Peace is the presence of God. - Anonymous

Do You Hear Me?

Our sweet Sienna turned 3 a few weeks ago.  Since this milestone she has gone and lost her ears.  I am sure they are in a very hard to reach place – like shoved under the fridge or in between the couch cushions.  Until they return, I’m afraid I have no choice but to continue to strengthen my patience.  I don’t consider myself extremely impatient but I also don’t consider myself extremely patient either!  Sienna is kindly strengthening my character and increasing my capacity for this virtue.  I know she is just simply thinking of me in her constant state of defiance J

Our sweetie seems to respond to life these days in such a way that makes me believe she feels under attack.  And in her 3 year old world, I’m sure she does!  She is learning her boundaries as well as getting used to a new baby sister.  That is a lot to process.  I once heard an analogy that compared a husband bringing home a second wife to toddler parents bringing home a new baby.  I’m sure there are feelings of “why am I not good enough?” that her 3 year old mind is trying to express. 

So the last few weeks have been all about consistent discipline.  This is HARD!  I am certainly no master, but I do know that the times we set clear boundaries and are consistent with enforcing them are the times that the behavior improves.  The trick is to not get too caught up in training behavior but training the heart.  I think when you simply train for pleasing behavior, you walk a fine line of creating a people pleaser.  People pleasers tend to lose their God given personality along the way.  On the other hand, obedient hearts do the right thing even if it doesn’t please everyone.  I want to teach Sienna obedience for her well being, not because I want to show off how well my kid behaves in front of others.

This is all fine and dandy to say, but the reality of it is very challenging.  Discipline in our house is used to correct disobedient behavior – again, trying to train the heart and not just the symptom (bad behavior).  I am fortunate in that I have a husband who is trained in children.  He is truly a master at disciplining them.  He has taught me that love is the only emotion that enters into the discipline equation.  Everything remains very factual.  You made this poor choice?  Here is the consequence.  There is no raising of voices, no angry faces, no shock over bad behavior (after all, they are toddlers!) and absolutely no belittling of the person (it is the behavior that is sour, not the person).  Of course we are human so we don’t follow this perfectly every time.  I have had plenty of occasions where I am angry, made a face of absolute disgust, am completely shocked that they would act in such a way and have wondered from time to time if I am raising a monster!  It is a process.  Hopefully Sienna realizes in the end that the time outs and spankings are us saying, “We love you too much to let you think that throwing a fit when we asked you to get dressed is ok!”  Too bad her pretty brown eyes even further complicate the disciplining process J         

Books I’m Reading

I’m almost finished with two books that I’ve been reading over the past few months.  The first is more of a devotional put together by the pastors/leaders of Bethel Church in Redding, CA (check out their website for great resources to strengthen your Christian walk).  The book is called Spiritual Java.  It is a very good 40 day devotional if you are interested.  I’ve also been reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.  Brother Lawrence lived during the 1600s and was a cook in a monastery.  The book is about how he cultivated such a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit that everything in his life became an act of worship.  His posture towards God was the same whether he was cooking in the kitchen, spending time in prayer or going to church. 

Here are a few of the quotes that really spoke to me from these two books.  Perhaps they’ll speak to your heart as well.

“Many do not advance in Christian progress because they stick in penances and particular exercises while neglecting the love of God, which must be the end purpose of ALL actions.” – Brother Lawrence

“Do not move faster than grace.  People do not become holy all at once.” – Brother Lawrence

“You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you – so why must God be neglected?” – Brother Lawrence

“People don’t need to be convinced of our insights, our gifts, or our ability to convey truth.  What people need is God.”  - Bill Johnson

“We miss God when we live as though we have Him figured out.  In fact, if we think we understand Him, we have probably conformed Him into our own image.  To endeavor to know Him is to embark on an adventure in which questions increase rather than disappear.”  - Bill Johnson

Good Blogs

I hope these friends don’t mind me sharing their blogs.  For those of you that like to read a variety of blogs, here are a few that I follow that are really terrific.

o        This is my friend Sarah’s blog…perfect for those of you raising young children and want Godly information on being an awesome wife and mother!  http://imraisingworldchangers.blogspot.com/  

o        Mandy is a high school friend of Marcel’s and takes AMAZING pictures.  Her girls are beautiful so she has good subjects to work with.  I can’t wait for her to photograph our family this summer.  http://www.guthsrule.blogspot.com/

o        Sylvia used to go to our church.  She designs amazing jewelry and is starting a fashion consulting business.  I wish I had half her style.  http://www.sylvia-c.com/

o        I met Maggie through our church as well.  She is an incredible writer.  She is a deep thinker and blogs a lot about gardening and living a healthy lifestyle.  http://characterwelcome.blogspot.com/

o        Suz is another amazing writer (as is her husband OJ who contributes to the blog as well!).  She WILL publish a book someday.  She is full of spiritual wisdom.  http://ojandsuz.com/