Why, God?
On March 11 my niece was in a car accident in Michigan. The early morning fog made driving hazardous and her car collided with a utility vehicle. Suffering sever brain injuries, she was placed on life support for 4 days, then went home to be with Jesus.
Let me tell you about my niece Dana. She was 26 and full of life. She was a PICU nurse at a children’s hospital and helped save the lives of very sick children and babies. The little ones whose lives were not saved died in her arms. Her husband of less than two years adored her. A soldier who fought in Iraq for 4 years, he was emotionally numb by the horrors of war. She brought joy and feeling back into his life and led him to a saving faith in Jesus. Her two sisters loved her—they were the 3 Musketeers. Her parents who brought her into this world had to let her go too soon. So may we ask God why? Yes, we may ask that question. He knows what we are thinking anyway. But to demand an answer is another matter.
Let me share what I believe:
I believe God is always and forever good (Psalm 100:5).
I believe God is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9).
I believe His love never fails (Psalm 36:5-7).
I believe God will give us strength to face our pain (Ephesians 3:16-21).
I believe I may not always understand His ways (Isaiah 55:9).
I believe that God is not accountable to me (Daniel 4:35).
I am not looking for answers because there aren’t any. Our days are numbered before we are born (Psalm 139:16), and Dana’s years on earth were already determined by God. Rather than looking for answers that aren’t there, I am looking to God and experiencing His peace that goes beyond my understanding. I am experiencing the joy and comfort that only He can give. And I am experiencing His presence every moment. In the midst of our grief, God has been sending our family visible reminders of His presence. One morning when I was on my way to care for my ailing in-laws, God gave me a gift in the sky. This is what I saw:
The Monday following Dana’s funeral, a meteorologist from Palm Beach who heard about her story sent this picture to her father:
The picture of Dana (above) was the last picture we have of her. She was in a make-up store trying on some bright red lipstick and her sister snapped a picture. Scroll back up to the picture. What do you see in the lower right corner?
God will never leave us or forsake us. God loves us and gives us strength and peace. His presence is with us, and His angels are among us. That’s all I need to know.
Crystal