Since yesterday, you’ve probably heard a great deal about the small Texas town of Sutherland Springs. It’s a community about 45 minutes from me. It’s part of the service territory the co-op I work for covers, and I have coworkers that have been personally affected by this horrific tragedy.

This, New York, Vegas and so many other disastrous occurrences, both natural and man-caused, over the last few years is enough to make me question so many of my beliefs. Why is this happening? Does everything in this world really have a purpose? Does every person existing in this world really have a purpose? Hell—do I have a purpose? Why do bad things happen to good, innocent people? Why does it seem like there is more and more death, destruction, disaster and division in the world lately? What is fair? Where is justice? Are my morals and beliefs out of date, out of fashion, and therefore out of sync with my ability to live, work, raise my family and worship in this modern society? Just who is in control here? 

Then, I hear a faint reminder. A voice, if you will. “Be still and know that I am God,” Psalm 46:10. So. I do. I sit still. I ask Him to speak so my heart will listen. He does. Do I have all the answers? No. Do I now have a complete understanding? Not even close. But I’m filled with a calmness that only comes to me in prayer.

I’m ashamed to say that it’s usually when I’m feeling like I’ve hit rock bottom, and then decide to turn to or even cry out to my Heavenly Father in true, serious prayer. Yet He’s always there for me, just the same. 

I’m reminded that He is in control, but he does not control us. He gave us free will. You know, those inalienable rights endowed by our creator that our constitution refers to and is supposed to guarantee and all that jazz.

It’s up to us how we choose to exercise or not to exercise those rights. If we choose to break laws, our country’s man-made or His Divine laws, consequences ensue. God’s not “allowing” this awful shit (sorry—I love Jesus, but I do cuss a little) to happen. Man is pushing Him out of our society, out of our lives, and is choosing to go nuts trying to figure out their own definitions of right and wrong, just and moral, natural and unnatural, and we are hugely sucking at it.

However, just as He is there for me when I hit my own personal rock bottoms, He is there for the world. I’m reminded, when we seek Him, He doesn’t erase what has happened; we still endure this man-made pain that our own or another person’s choices, by ours or their own free will, has inflicted. But He will find a purpose in that pain when we start seeking and asking for Him to lead us according to His Will rather than our own. 

Not everyone believes as I do. I know that, and I’m fine with that. I’m not so narrow-minded to be ignorant of the fact that there are many who believe differently, with just as much passion and conviction as I have in my faith. I actually really enjoy learning about other faiths and religions. It doesn’t mean I’m looking to change mine, so please don’t think when I suggest the following that I’m asking you to do so either.

I only ask that that you open your minds in the same way, maybe even your perspectives, to consider some of the things I’ve mentioned and maybe even learn a little more than you may think you already know about mine. 

How Great Thou Art https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/how-great-thou-art/1068240533?i=1068240543