10 February 2016

Everything happens for a reason

There are a lot of things that people say that are well-intentioned, well-meaning and utterly infuriating to me. 
Two of those are,
"God won't give your more than you can bear."
And 
"Everything happens for a reason."

I do not believe everything happens for a reason. I think there is a reason everything happens, but that is different.

I believe in a Heavenly Father who is all loving. I just can't see a loving Heavenly Father telling one of His precious children "yeah, you're going to die of starvation because you were born in the poor side of the world. But everything happens for a reason." 
I can't accept or believe in a God that insists that rape, abuse, assaults and the like were predestined, and that they were given to YOU because you were strong enough to handle it.

You may argue that the scriptures tell us that, that we won't be given more than we can handle. Please refer to 1 Corinthians 10:13 which states: 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I do believe that. That I will not be tempted to sin beyond what I am able to withstand and bear. 


I reject the theory, however that I will never have a trial beyond what I can bear. I reject that teaching. And maybe I'm wrong. Maybe when I get to he other side, Heavenly Father will take me in His arms and explain why some people suffer their whole lives while others seem to float through life with ease, at His say and His command.

That's not to say He can't intervene or that He won't. I think it has to be His will to step in and prevent something or step in and cause something to happen. 
But Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ, they are both not only all loving, they're all knowing. They know the blessings that can come from terrible things. Perhaps that's why they don't always intervene. Perhaps they know how you will bless the lives of others because of your own suffering.

(2nd Corinthians 1:3-7 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.)

I think the whole purpose of Jesus suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, dying on the cross of Calvary and rising again in the tomb of Golgotha is to take away all the things we were not, are not and will not be able to bear alone. 

If I could bear all things, I would not need a Savior. He suffered for more than just my sons (which are plentiful) He suffered for every cut, every bruise, every pain, every sorrow, every fear. Everything that I could not and cannot bear alone. 


I just can't accept a loving Father would plan a life for someone to be full of heartbreak after agonizing heartbreak.

Rather, I know that we are imperfect. People make bad decisions and God will not take away someone's right to choose. Because of that, bad things happen. (To the good and the bad.) we also live in an imperfect world where we are able to get sick in our imperfect bodies. I don't believe a loving Father would give somebody cancer or lupus or miscarriages or nerve damage to teach them a lesson. Our bodies are imperfect, the world around us is imperfect. 

But Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can take our suffering and make it something more. He can take a survivor of a brutal attack and inspire them to turn around on their path and help another to survive. 

He can take someone suffering from cancer, and heal a wound in their hearts that hey never knew was there.

Suffering doesn't have to be in vain. He can orchestrate a beautiful blessing out of some really crappy situations. 

I've found that those beautiful blessings have come from my Father in Heaven and my Savior Jesus Christ through others. Others who have travelled this path that I've stumbled down, or people who just wanted me to know that I'm not alone traveling. 

The blessing in trials is that you don't have to be strong enough to deal with it alone. You were never meant to overcome trials alone. That's why we are all here together in our imperfect bodies. 
He is strong enough. And He will send His toughest, kindest and most loving warriors to help you. 

I'm not strong enough. I am no where near strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be. And that's okay.