When Tragedy Strikes, is God Still Good?
“Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is caaAAlll.” Dang that Carole King can write.
I can’t possibly think of the seasons without bopping to that song in my head. And we are heading into FALL. A time of pumpkin spice, rewatching Gilmore Girls, folding up your white tees, and, if you’re a Californian, hoping that this won’t be a year of fires.
It’s an exciting time, full of (mostly) good possibilities.
Check out this verse:
(It probably sounds familiar)
I recently heard a woman preach on this verse in an impactful way. You see, she had prepped a sermon on this verse 3 years ago. She prepped it pre-pandemic. She prepped it before the sudden death of her husband. She prepped it before she became a single mom to two baby boys. She prepped it, and never gave it.
The event she was supposed to deliver this sermon at was canceled in light of a little thing we call covid. But 3 years later, it was back on. She was back on. And when she asked the Lord what she was meant to speak on, she felt she was still supposed to give that same message.
A message about the Lord’s good plans for our lives.
And so she spoke about seasons. How life has seasons. Some years of life feel like an endless Summer, where we are resting, and celebrating, and filled with peaceful circumstances. Other times, it feels like we are in a dark Winter, where we ask God, “Can I please catch a break now?”
Then, of course, there is Spring, bringing new life, new colors, and new hope. And there is Fall, bringing beautiful, though often hard, change. For her, she had nearly seven years of blissful Summer before facing a dark and cold Winter. Seven years of Summer where she went around preaching that God has good plans for your life. Then when faced with an unexpected tragedy, she had to pause and ask, “Do I really believe this?”
How can it be that God is good when our circumstances don’t seem to reflect that? Humans have been wrestling with this question since the days of Job (pronounced like j-OH-b, not like j-AH-b). This book tries to answer the age-old question: Why do bad things happen to good people? When people are going through hard times, we often try to look for what they did wrong. Right? That way, if we can find fault in them, we can quell our worries that the same tragedy might befall us. While sometimes there is wisdom in that, there is also the reality that tragedy doesn’t always choose a deserving host. And this reality has been happening for a long time.
We see in Job’s story, that he was a faithful servant to God. He did nothing wrong to deserve the tragedy of losing his family and his livelihood. And yet, he is dealt an unlucky hand.
As much as I wish the author (or some argue, authors) provided a straight-forward answer as to why, they don’t. And I’m not sure we will ever be able to tie up these philosophical quandaries in a neat little bow. But I do know, and Job exemplifies, that having faith in the low times builds us up enough to make it through. That God promises to draw near to the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18), and that God can be trusted (Jeremiah 17:7-8). I do know that hope heals, and faith often requires believing in what we don’t fully understand.
I also know that one of the temptations in the cold winters is to begin to question God, to lose faith and conviction just when we need it the most. And we do need it. Our minds and our souls need it. We need it in order to see the beauty shine through. Although the sun hides itself in the Winter, there is still such beauty. Beauty that no other season has. There is comfort to be had amongst loved ones, and warm meals, and soft lights. And there is the promise that it never lasts forever.
So, what season are you in right now?
Much like the weather, I believe I am heading into Fall. A season of change. Change is good, but can also be really scary. So I’m learning to be trusting, and to ride the wave of change.
For my Winter friends, it’s going to be okay. Really, it is. The hope we have is this: God is with you. Emmanuel. His presence is sufficient. He will show you ways that He sees you and cares for you. I pray that you find comfort in this season and hold onto hope.
For my Spring chickens, what a fun time. All those seeds you’ve harvested are starting to grow. There is new life all around you. I pray you feel excited and grateful. I pray you enjoy your harvest.
For my Summer people, you carry immense peace. This is a blessing. I pray you use the extra juice in your tank to reach out to others. This is a great time to be a blessing. I pray that God places people in your path that you can shine light on, and I pray this rest fuels you for many seasons to come.
And for my fellow Fall folks, I pray for flexibility over you. That you might have wisdom and steadiness in a storm of change. That you see the beauty in the changing colors. I pray this over myself too, to be fair. And I pray your homes stay safe from any flames this season (in Jesus’ name!).
Let me know what season you are in right now. I’d love to hear.
P.S. I have a new song out called “Still” - You can hear it wherever you listen to music! I dare you to not have a smile on your face while it plays.