Skip to main content

God, Why My Daddy?

The question may have already been whispered, shouted, or sobbed by Alysia Grace or Cassidy Hope: "God, why my Daddy?" Last Sunday, the father of these two girls, Pastor Fred Winters, was taken from them by a stranger's bullet. While all the facts are still being disclosed, this minister was a husband, father, son, perhaps a brother, and certainly friend to countless others.

Not new to headlines, violence has slowly crept into churches in communities across the nation. Recently, a worship service in Michigan was disrupted by activists promoting homosexuality. Yet, that event pales in comparison to last Sunday's execution.


With the suspect labeled "mentally ill," the debates and discussions will soon begin on what we can do to recognize the trouble signs. These same discussions happen whenever there's a deadly shooting rampage involving a teenager at a school. Maybe if we try to figure it out, wrestle with the what-if's, the how-to's and the why's we can prevent this from happening, again!

We are flawed.

In our fragile humanness we forget that we are sinful creatures capable of wondrous good and unspeakable evil. We think throwing money, logic, and laws at problems will make everything better in the morning.

Yet, that didn't stop a wife from kissing her husband unknowingly a final time as he left early that morning for church. Laws and money didn't stop daughters from unexpectedly having a final loving embrace from their daddy as they were waking up last Sunday morning. After all, they would see him at church later that morning.

In an instant, our world can be shattered.

Understandably, no details have emerged regarding the girls and Cindy Lee, now a widow. They are in the midst of grieving and healing. This post is not intended to hurt, exploit, or make an example of this family. My hope is to lovingly remind you, the reader, of two things:

1) Never take a day for granted - We are not promised the next breath, minute, hour, or even tomorrow. Each of these moments are gifts from God. What we do with this time is our choice but when He is glorified, the time is much sweeter. Through such pain and ugliness, goodness and love will be shown. He will be glorified. For now, love your spouse, children, family, and friends.

Pray for and encourage your pastors. After all, they hear enough about enough pety things such as the carpet color, temperature, and if the music is too contemporary. Focus on the positive a bit more.

Most importantly, make sure your heart is right with God. Don't be caught dead not knowing Him. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior can make a world of difference.

2) Right now you might be thinking, why does a good God continue to allow evil to happen? I would encourage you to read this. It's refreshing to realize that we won't and shouldn't have all the answers. God's in control. Everything has a reason and a season.

But it's okay to ask him why. He's felt your pain and understands it better than you understand yourself. The key is, will you turn it over to Him? Holding onto your pain, doubt, confusion, and hate will only bring death to your soul. Turning it over to Him, will bring you new life.

Your problems aren't too big for Him. He can take it. He did over 2000 years ago.

Comments

  1. glowing face manNovember 4, 2009 at 11:10 PM

    As for that reason and season.. I think it has to do with making the world a more interesting place. If the world had no sorrow or anguish in it of any kind, it would be a rather boring place, similar to a movie with no plot

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

See You Around, Mike

Three weeks ago, I attended the memorial service of a dear Brother in Christ. Sunday, June 10, would've been his 56th birthday. I miss my friend. But what's sad is that I didn't miss Mike until he was gone. At least in the middle of the odd month, but definitely by the last week of it, Mike would always reach out to me with a request. It was usually to load a certain worship music video or some game show music. Sometimes, he needed some specific slides created or sound effects. Mike put a lot of thought into preparing the lessons. For certain lessons, Mike asked the kids to write something that was bothering them or something that was a sin. Then he had them take hammer and nail to that card and attach it to an old rugged cross. Mike often brought in props to physically connect the Bible stories to the kids. For example, when he dressed as an innkeeper and walked in a wheelbarrow full of fresh cow manure. He was adding the smell of a barn to the lesson just to help
Post a Comment
READ THE FULL STORY »

May We Never Forget

On this 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I'm posting below a story I wrote on the 10th anniversary. These are my reflections on that day.  Looking at the first paragraph, it's interesting how times change. No one has asked me questions of where I was or what I was doing. I'm not sure if many of us have forgotten but more likely we're so very distracted. We've navigated almost two years of a pandemic that's taken and changed so many lives. We've navigated political and cultural changes poorly and emotionally to the point of creating more divisions.  We are not the country we were the weeks and months after 9/11. The bipartisan efforts then were refreshing. The amount of American flags flying proudly and in solidarity was inspiring. Today, it seems many despise their own country and its flag. But even this is not new. While she has stumbled over the years and will continue to do so - America will always be the most amazing country in the world. It
Post a Comment
READ THE FULL STORY »

Reverse Discrimination of Christmas

With Christmas slowly fading from your memory, did you find yourself this year taking a stand for Christmas? I'm not talking about stealing the stand beneath the Christmas tree. Perhaps you missed it but 2009 was the year of sticking it to retailers who refused to display or say "Merry Christmas!" Boycotting secular businesses because they aren't promoting Christmas: righteous or ridiculous? I'll vote for both.
2 comments
READ THE FULL STORY »