This October will be seven years since we lost my brother-in-law.  Dean was 52 years old and was diagnosed with a rare cancer.  We lost him in one month.  It was hard to watch my sister, niece, & nephew grieve, and it was hard to lose a family member, close friend, and fishing buddy. Fifty-two years old seemed too young.

My sister and brother-in-law were one of three couples my wife and I got together with often. We took many vacations and made a lot of good memories.  After losing Dean, the five of us continue to be close friends.

Recently the husband of the other couple was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  The best the doctors say to hope for is some time, but we are still praying for a miracle.  The last month has been difficult for him to say the least.  He has had blood clots, a blood infection, pain, strokes, and a partial loss of vision.  He was always industrious and building things.  The sudden illness stopped all that, and it has been a discouraging shock to him.  He is only 56 years old and has 6 little grandsons that he dearly wants to watch grow up.

Why do bad things happen to good people?  It is a question that is much older than I am.

  • Is it because we live in a fallen world?
  • Is it because God wants us to know this world is not our home?
  • Is it because Jesus called Satan “the prince of this world”?

My answer is simple: I don’t know. When I was first grieving for Dean, I felt in my spirit that God was telling me not to ask why.  “Why?” was not the question.

Now that I am watching another loved one in a serious health situation, I have concluded that the question we should be asking is, who are you going to turn to in a crisis?

  • Are you going to say that it is not fair?
  • Are you going to bargain with God for a positive outcome?
  • Are you going to get mad at God for allowing something bad to happen?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Romans 8:37-39. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you find yourself in a crisis then who can you turn to?  I will turn to Jesus with my faith that Jesus is preparing a place for me.  I am not going to fear what may come tomorrow.

Jim Nolt – Executive Board Member