Why Bad Things Happen to Good People
Have you ever asked yourself that question?
Or "Why does God allow bad things to happen?"
We have really struggled the last couple of weeks. I can't remember a month like this prior to starting IVIG two years ago.
Hunter has been doing night wakings, searching for electronics, yelling at friends at school, showing zero respect for authority, and basically losing the light in his eyes that is so apparent following IVIG.
I actually called the ABA therapist and inquired about reinstating services. You know it's bad when I want to add more to our already crazy schedule.
We hit rock bottom, though, yesterday with a phone call from the AP. Hunter had become upset in the lunchroom when his teacher redirected him to sit down, and a rage ensued that ended with hitting his teacher, and calling her a b#$%2.
Yep, proud parent moment. I almost dropped the phone when she reported it to me. That word has never been uttered in our house, we don't watch bad movies, we listen to Kids Bop...and he has no friends. Even now, I can't imagine where he heard it. I just keep telling myself it must have been something else that sounded like the "b" word. When he first heard "shut up" on Toy Story, he didn't even use it correctly. He would tell people to "shut out." I wish no one would have ever corrected that for him!
I was so mortified. All of my parent-pat-on-the-backs disappeared when I heard that my 7 year old used profanity. Do I thank you tube? The internet? An older child at school? I am clueless. All I know is that the tablets/ipads are wiped clean and they are hidden for a very, very long time.
I cried my eyes puffy yesterday. Even Peter said he noticed my eyes first thing when he got home. I went to bed feeling like Autism and AE were winning the battle.
This past Sunday, our priest sent me a message. He started with the same question I asked at the beginning of this post. Is there a difference in what God wills for each of us? God desires good things for all of us. He so loved the world that he sent his only son for us, but yet he allows bad things to happen. How do you explain this??
He explained that we are all allowed to make choices- some choose evil. He said that God doesn't desire the bad, but he allows it. Original sin entered the world, and original creation became a little "messed up." We have to remember that when things go awry, God is trying to get us to love him. When we endure bad things, He is with us, suffering right there with us. Father gave an example of fertilizer. "We pile this on our crops and hope they will bear fruit. God is the same way, fertilizing us, bringing good things out of bad."
"God never desired evil- it wasn't in His original plan. He didn't rejoice in it." Our priest then talked about the example of 9/11. If God really loved them, why didn't he stop the terrorists? Why did he allow so much bad to occur? Statistics from that time showed that half of the people filing for divorce withdrew their case. He CAN draw good things out of tragedy.
Our priest challenged us to think about what we endure to fertilize others. "We can find peace, but sometimes it takes time. Each day seems forever. The Lord asks us to be patient, to endure. We should praise God for His will and even when things don't go as planned, God desires to draw good things out of it for us. He is there."
Then my sweet friend texted me a passage in her "New Morning Mercies" book:
When Jesus sent his disciples across the sea, it was windy and dangerous. Jesus saw them in this exhausting situation and he walked across the sea. There were two main things to observe from this walk:
"The first is the fact that Jesus is the Lord God Almighty, because no other human could do what he is doing. But there is a second important thing to observe. The minute he begins to take the walk, you know what he has in mind. If all Jesus wants to do is relieve the difficulty, he wouldn't have to take the walk. All he would need to do is say a prayer from the shore and the wind would cease. He takes the walk because he is not after the difficulty. He is after the men in the middle of the difficulty. he is working to change everything they think about themselves and their lives. Standing next to the boat as the wind still blows and the waves still crash, he says, 'It is I. Do not be afraid.'"
He is telling us that it is impossible to exist alone, since He is always with us.
So why does Jesus send us into these storms? Why do bad things happen to good people?
"He knows that sometimes you need the storm in order to be able to see the glory. For the believer, that peace is not to be found in the ease of life. Real peace...is only found when those storms of life take you beyond your natural ability, wisdom, and strength. You can live in the hope and courage in the middle of what once would have produced discouragement and fear because you know you are never alone. He is in you. He is with you. He is for you. He is hope."
I had planned on writing after Sunday's homily, but the day turned sour and I didn't feel much like rejoicing. And then the week spiraled down from there.
But today, after a phone call from Dr. G, a good report from school, and dry eyes, I find myself wanting to spread the news. I also received a phone call from a student at a University for a study that both Peter and I agreed to take part in for Autism research. She asked me tough, tough questions...but the one that choked me up was, "How has Autism made you a different parent?"
I couldn't answer right away. The silly things, like "a tired one," "a non-social one," "a distracted one," were slowly erased and a new answer somehow floated out of my mouth.
"I advocate for those that don't have a voice."
"I work harder than ever to bring my child back."
"I believe that each day you have to wake up and start anew."
"I continue to fight, everyday, for answers."
"I am one resilient parent."
Or "Why does God allow bad things to happen?"
We have really struggled the last couple of weeks. I can't remember a month like this prior to starting IVIG two years ago.
Hunter has been doing night wakings, searching for electronics, yelling at friends at school, showing zero respect for authority, and basically losing the light in his eyes that is so apparent following IVIG.
I actually called the ABA therapist and inquired about reinstating services. You know it's bad when I want to add more to our already crazy schedule.
We hit rock bottom, though, yesterday with a phone call from the AP. Hunter had become upset in the lunchroom when his teacher redirected him to sit down, and a rage ensued that ended with hitting his teacher, and calling her a b#$%2.
Yep, proud parent moment. I almost dropped the phone when she reported it to me. That word has never been uttered in our house, we don't watch bad movies, we listen to Kids Bop...and he has no friends. Even now, I can't imagine where he heard it. I just keep telling myself it must have been something else that sounded like the "b" word. When he first heard "shut up" on Toy Story, he didn't even use it correctly. He would tell people to "shut out." I wish no one would have ever corrected that for him!
I was so mortified. All of my parent-pat-on-the-backs disappeared when I heard that my 7 year old used profanity. Do I thank you tube? The internet? An older child at school? I am clueless. All I know is that the tablets/ipads are wiped clean and they are hidden for a very, very long time.
I cried my eyes puffy yesterday. Even Peter said he noticed my eyes first thing when he got home. I went to bed feeling like Autism and AE were winning the battle.
This past Sunday, our priest sent me a message. He started with the same question I asked at the beginning of this post. Is there a difference in what God wills for each of us? God desires good things for all of us. He so loved the world that he sent his only son for us, but yet he allows bad things to happen. How do you explain this??
He explained that we are all allowed to make choices- some choose evil. He said that God doesn't desire the bad, but he allows it. Original sin entered the world, and original creation became a little "messed up." We have to remember that when things go awry, God is trying to get us to love him. When we endure bad things, He is with us, suffering right there with us. Father gave an example of fertilizer. "We pile this on our crops and hope they will bear fruit. God is the same way, fertilizing us, bringing good things out of bad."
"God never desired evil- it wasn't in His original plan. He didn't rejoice in it." Our priest then talked about the example of 9/11. If God really loved them, why didn't he stop the terrorists? Why did he allow so much bad to occur? Statistics from that time showed that half of the people filing for divorce withdrew their case. He CAN draw good things out of tragedy.
Our priest challenged us to think about what we endure to fertilize others. "We can find peace, but sometimes it takes time. Each day seems forever. The Lord asks us to be patient, to endure. We should praise God for His will and even when things don't go as planned, God desires to draw good things out of it for us. He is there."
Then my sweet friend texted me a passage in her "New Morning Mercies" book:
When Jesus sent his disciples across the sea, it was windy and dangerous. Jesus saw them in this exhausting situation and he walked across the sea. There were two main things to observe from this walk:
"The first is the fact that Jesus is the Lord God Almighty, because no other human could do what he is doing. But there is a second important thing to observe. The minute he begins to take the walk, you know what he has in mind. If all Jesus wants to do is relieve the difficulty, he wouldn't have to take the walk. All he would need to do is say a prayer from the shore and the wind would cease. He takes the walk because he is not after the difficulty. He is after the men in the middle of the difficulty. he is working to change everything they think about themselves and their lives. Standing next to the boat as the wind still blows and the waves still crash, he says, 'It is I. Do not be afraid.'"
He is telling us that it is impossible to exist alone, since He is always with us.
So why does Jesus send us into these storms? Why do bad things happen to good people?
"He knows that sometimes you need the storm in order to be able to see the glory. For the believer, that peace is not to be found in the ease of life. Real peace...is only found when those storms of life take you beyond your natural ability, wisdom, and strength. You can live in the hope and courage in the middle of what once would have produced discouragement and fear because you know you are never alone. He is in you. He is with you. He is for you. He is hope."
I had planned on writing after Sunday's homily, but the day turned sour and I didn't feel much like rejoicing. And then the week spiraled down from there.
But today, after a phone call from Dr. G, a good report from school, and dry eyes, I find myself wanting to spread the news. I also received a phone call from a student at a University for a study that both Peter and I agreed to take part in for Autism research. She asked me tough, tough questions...but the one that choked me up was, "How has Autism made you a different parent?"
I couldn't answer right away. The silly things, like "a tired one," "a non-social one," "a distracted one," were slowly erased and a new answer somehow floated out of my mouth.
"I advocate for those that don't have a voice."
"I work harder than ever to bring my child back."
"I believe that each day you have to wake up and start anew."
"I continue to fight, everyday, for answers."
"I am one resilient parent."
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