Live or die, is it God’s will?

Ki, I didn’t forget your mail. It is just that it is one darn difficult question that I couldn’t reply until now.

Ki who randomly wrote to me because she has this question :

You know sumtimes ah after a big disaster, like tsunami, and some folks who
survived the worst, will say, GOD really protected me, so I survived. Doesnt
that make the family of the deceased of the same catastrophe feel/think that
GOD didn’t love and protect them, and thus they died? Is there even a point in
asking this? But I just feel uneasy whenever I hear these comments. Not
judging, not flaming. Just uneasy. Any advice to ‘tame’ this wondering mind?
Maybe I don’t even expect an anwswer from u, but just for someone to listen.
Thanks again. You dont charge for listening hor?

Summarising what she asked, “During huge disasters, there are deaths and there are survivors. Are the survivors luckier and protected by God and the deads are unluckier if those who survived said God protected them and hence they live ?”

Well….it is very easy for us to blame God conveniently whenever something happens to us. When these people do that, I wonder if God was there in their lives in the first place? I frankly do not believe God was part of their lives. Because if a person who is faithful, they do not see deaths that way.

But first, I must admit that since I converted to Christianity, I have never been challenged to the extreme. There wasn’t an occassion when I need to ask ‘Where is God when I am hurting?’. So, what I am going to share may seem a bit frivolous because it is mostly based on my own reasonings.

So, it is natural for us to give thanks to God if we feel that we are lucky or been blessed. Therefore, when people say God protected them, they are only expressing what comes naturally to us when we feel relieved. Not long ago, my eldest son was involved in a very serious accident. It could have been fatal but my son did not even get a single scratch. Our car was almost a total loss and the mechanic took half a year to repair it.

I cannot stop thanking God and also my mom (because it happened on her 10th death anniversary and my eldest son was her favourite grandson) for being the guardian angel. I dragged the son of mine to church and get him to give thanks to God. (Heh, typical of confirmed Catholic to evade church so going to church is a big deal to me.) The overwhelming feelings of God’s protection is there and you cannot stop feeling blessed.

Now, let’s say another family see this. And that family probably had a son who perished in an accident….Do you think they will feel short-changed?

Yes and no.

Yes, if God was never part of their lives and they asked ‘Where is God when it hurts’. And they probably feel horrible if let’s say I go to their faces and say, “Thank God nothing happened to my son.” But of course, we don’t normally do that.

No, if God was part of their lives and they see each and every hurts in their lives as part of the ‘package’. For God has said He knows what we will face in our lives long before He form us in our mother’s womb. And if we turn to Him during those hard times, we will surely pull through. Christians who have the faith will overcome these trials and tribulations with strength, courage, faith, hope, promise (of being united in Christ in Heaven) despite of all their tears and hurts.

So, you see, dear Ki, it is so nice of you to give me these sort of questions. It makes me think deep and hard over my own life and eventually, I came out wiser.

Ultimately, it is good that we embrace Christ and take Him as our personal friend who will pull us through bad times and in good times, we can rejoice with Him. That’s what special about being a Christian. We have Jesus and the Holy Spirit who dwell amongst us.

To be encouraged further, please read the post from Jess about her friend’s death. It brought me tears when I imagine the grief the wife is going through because she has a baby/toddler to deal with. However, it uplifts me because of the faith Michael had despite his illness. Our God is an awesome God. With Him, we can conquer death and even fears of dying because there is eternal life, through Christ.