God is Good---All the Time.

The blogosphere has been eerily quiet today---especially the blogs I follow written by moms. There could be several good explanations for the silence but I'm apt to believe that we are all in a state of shock over the events that took place yesterday in Lancaster, PA.

Each time there is a school shooting it becomes easier and easier to believe it could actually happen in our own community. With Columbine, I think most of us still believed we were invincible and that those shootings were an isolated incident that could never repeat itself. But it has repeated itself over and over again.

Yesterday's shootings have been particularly disturbing to me because I live just one hour from Lancaster. We often see the Amish working in their fields as we're driving to Lancaster's outlet malls or at HersheyPark in the summer as they are enjoying a fun family day. We always point out their horse and buggies to the kids and talk about why they are dressed differently.

And as different as their lifestyle and belief system is from ours, it is easy to identify with them as a parent. Regardless of nationality, race, age or religion, there are certain events and milestones, joys and frustrations that every parent experiences. It is easy to put ourselves in their shoes because we can picture the face of our own 6-year-old or 12-year-old just as easily.

It is events like these that make you question why bad things happen to good people. I'm not going to pretend to have the answer to that question, but I do know God understands the pain and sorrow. And I know he is faithful and that He will see these families and this community through this tragedy.

Ironically, at the beginning of September I attended a Women's Retreat that tackled these hard questions. I gave you my insights from that conference here. As I read over that post again, this point stuck out to me, "God does not change, just my life has." Yes, He is still that faithful, unwavering God that stands in complete control of my life.

Does that mean I will never experience pain or hurt, frustration or disappointment? No. It means that everyday I must choose to put my trust in God. Trust him with my home, my marriage and, dare I say, my kids. Especially trust him with my kids at school. I must choose to rest in my knowledge of who he is and what he has done in my life.

Yesterday's events were horrendous and unimaginable. But for me this is where the rubber meets the road. Will I praise him only when life is going well and everything is going my way. Or, will I refuse to let my faith and my heart get sidetracked by circumstances (and especially circumstances I don't understand) and choose to declare that God is good all the time?

I know what my answer is---what's yours?

God is Good---All the Time.

http://momnaction.blogspot.com/2006/10/god-is-good-all-time.html