The tornado incident left the kids feeling very vulnerable and their perfect little world a little less secure. Though the tornado was far enough away from us to keep us from any real danger, they still witnessed a "monster" forming from the clouds reaching down to the ground.
I told them all the right things, that we live in a broken and imperfect world filled with the effects and consequences of sin. I told them that God loves us and intervenes often. But they pointed out that some people die anyway--some of them very good people. I didn't know how to explain that one.
The truth is, I had the same thoughts. Ever since I watched the tornado pick up Dorothy's house in The Wizard of Oz, I've been scared of tornadoes. To this day, I still have bad dreams of tornadoes chasing me. And right before my eyes, invading my safe little habitat and home, was a tornado rippling down to the ground like a string of confetti.
True, it was in the next city, but still close enough to see that it was coming to our town next. And also true, it was a weak one and didn't touch down for more than maybe five seconds--but another was forming in the sky. It didn't matter how weak or strong or far away it was. The fact was, the tornado was there, stealing away the security and safety of our world, and God had not intervened.
Or had He?
It brought me back to the day I had my heart attack. Sitting on those steps, knowing I was dying and wondering why God had allowed this to happen to me. I had called out to him in my heart in broken snippets of prayers, but every word sincere. Would He intervene? Why was He allowing this to happen??
I'm always brought back to the same answer: for reasons that only He knows, He allowed me to experience death and then brought me back to life.
He allowed the little girl who was only sleeping, to wake up. (Matthew 9:24)
He allowed Lazarus to be dead for four days, only to be brought back to life again. (John 5-11)
He allowed a terrible storm to practically sink the fishing boat as He slept, only to rebuke it. (Mark 4:35)
He allowed these terrible things to happen but always intervened.
True, good people sometimes die. Good people die from cancer and sicknesses, poor children starve, innocent people are wiped out in acts of terrorism. It's not fair and not right. But God still intervenes though we don't always see how.
I was woken up last night by Luke--who had previously claimed he wasn't afraid of the tornado--because he had a bad dream. I helped him back to bed but then I couldn't sleep. Over and over, I saw tornadoes forming from the sky and dropping down on top of us. Some tornadoes more than a mile wide and impossible to run from. I too, wrestled with the question: "Lord, why do You allow these things to happen? How can I trust You, when You allow good people to die?"
It was an honest question and I would even say a fair one, coming from someone who struggles with trust. Why should only the children ask it?
I woke up with a new thought. I can protect my children as much as I'm able, and I will do whatever I can to keep them safe--even run away from a tornado (again, with the understanding I wouldn't even try if it was close by!) But I can't guarantee them their safety. I can't guarantee there would be no suffering. In fact, I can guarantee that there will be suffering and only try to prepare them for it by forming a trusting relationship with God.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
"Why do you call Me good? No one is good--except God alone." (Mark 10:18)
No one is exempt from suffering. We all will one day suffer and die. That is our consequence of sin.
But God hasn't left us in this world to suffer alone. He sometimes intervenes and sometimes allows things to happen. But He never abandons us. And every "bad thing" that happens brings about good. That is God's will. The devil doesn't win, though sometimes it seems that he does.
The tornado was another reminder that this world is not our heaven. It isn't perfect and trustworthy. Our only defense is God.
My answer to my kids question? Become a great friend of God's and be faithful. He protects His own. He won't always prevent bad things from happening, but He will be there with us as we go through it.
The worst suffering ever is to have no God. And that is one suffering that hopefully, my kids will never know.
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