For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. – Jeremiah 29:11, KJV

A few short days ago, tragedy struck a family in the county where I live. A fire consumed their house, their possessions, and two precious lives: a brave father who died trying to rescue his 9-year old son. The mother, the 9-year old boy’s twin sister, and the family’s 12-year old son survived, but the 12-year old is still in critical condition – though thankfully improving – as of this writing. Although we have never met the family personally, my son played in a baseball league with the 12-year old some years ago. Due to this small connection, this tragedy has hit a little closer to home than most similar news stories have, and it has made me wonder how my own family would react if the trauma were ours, not someone else’s. 

In such tragic times, when emotions are raging, there is only one question we want answered: “Why?” Usually, we direct this question to God, and we naturally get angry when our question is met with silence. The longer the answer eludes us, the deeper our anger digs in. If we are not careful, our anger at God can spiral into hatred of God, and many professing Christians have turned their backs on God because they could not cope with tragedies that had sullied their lives.

Many a wise person has stated that the time to decide how you will react to temptation is not when the temptation is upon you; it is long before the temptation arrives. Likewise, the time to decide how to react to tragedy is not when the tragedy is upon you, but long before it ever strikes. So, in moments when things are good, life is calm, and emotions are normal, decide to trust God, not question Him, when tragedy strikes. If you rest your inner peace on obtaining a satisfactory answer to a life tragedy, then peace will escape you for a time – maybe even a lifetime – while you wait for the answer to come. But if you rest your inner peace on an unwavering trust in the Creator of the Universe – the Creator Who has thoughts of peace and not of evil for you, Who has promised to never leave you nor forsake you, and Who can and will make everything work together for good to them that love God – then you will have inner peace the moment the tragedy strikes – and from that point forward. This doesn’t mean you won’t suffer pain. You cannot escape the pain and sorrow of loss when people and possessions you love dearly are taken from you. But if you trust that God knows best rather than demand that God give you answers, then your pain will be eased by His love rather than fueled by your anger. 

In due time – either here on Earth or in Eternity – God will give you the answers you seek. But while you wait for the answers to life’s tragedies, you can take comfort in the fact that as long as you trust, God will order your steps both through your trials, and beyond them. If you demand rather than trust, then the only thing you can count on is that bitterness will be your companion for a long, long time.

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