03.12.09
Advice?
So I have been taking a break from blogging. I just didn’t tell y’all. I started a new job and I have been adjusting, so I decided to take awhile to clear my head and get used to my job. I am ending that today.
I cannot elaborate on this at all…but after today, I am struggling to understand why God lets terrible things happen…especially to children. I don’t know why, and that kills me. Anyone else deal with this? Any advice?
Tammy said,
March 13, 2009 at 6:33 am
Oh Emily. Just think about this for a minute. God called you to this mission. (you dont have a job) The system needs people like you to advocate for these children– they dont have a voice. I look at it like this, even though it is hard to see the physical and emotional abuse of these children, this is a result of sin… Not the kids fault. But unfortunately they are paying for it– I think its more of a generational payment for sin. But, here is where it gets good. Even though they are living a hell, God has called good people to become their new mommy and daddy. I cant explain all of it, I just know that God does call people to step out on faith and adopt children. He called Bobby and me to do this- now we just have to wait! My parents were called to adopt me. So, as an advocate for adoption, it is our responsibility to spread the word and get others involved through prayer and volunteerism and ultimately to adopt these kids! You have an awesome job and in many ways you are going to touch so many lives. Just keep your head up and your heart open! I will be praying for you and if you just need to vent call me!
Michael said,
March 14, 2009 at 7:05 am
I know what you’re talking about, but I also know Jesus holds a special place in his heart for children.
What helps me is the realization that even though I don’t see the big picture, God does. What I don’t understand is still part of His plan.
Knowing God is in control,aven and especially over the bad things, is what helps me.
foxcraft said,
March 14, 2009 at 7:56 am
Oh, Em. My heart breaks when I think of children suffering at the hands of parents, strangers, anyone.
I’ve been wrestling with this post for a couple of days. I know how I feel about the presence of evil/absence of good, and the one thing that makes sense is our Free Will. With actions come consequences, and God knew that we would make mistakes, bad/terrible choices, hurting ourselves and others (and Him).
One thing I believe is that Evil, as its own entity, doesn’t necessarily exist–it is simply the absence of good. Sort of like “cold” doesn’t really exist except that we label the absence of heat–cold still has a temperature, signally some sort of heat signature (even when it’s below zero, it’s still measured on the same heat scale). I’m not sure any of that makes sense, but I think of Lucifer’s fall and how his pride absorbed any good within him, leaving a Godless void. Good exists on its own because God is Good, and God needs no other source to live. We don’t know Evil, though, unless we’ve known Good, and Evil cannot exist unless it rejects Good (God).
Again, I’m not sure if that makes ANY sense, and I’m sure there are several stronger arguments that make this philosophy sound weak, but that’s how I think. In the end, God is Good, and God is in control. Our Free Will is our stumbling block, but it also leads to our Saving Grace when we CHOOSE to accept God and His Mercy.
I hope you’re not cringing at my capitalized words! =P Also, if I may, this sounds like something Harvey would struggle with. *hint hint*
<3 you. God will heal your heart, just as He will for all of His children. As Michael posted above, God keeps children in a special place. God also keeps His Children in a special place.
jamienance said,
March 18, 2009 at 5:29 pm
We’ve discussed this topic a lot in my counseling classes and it’s super hard to hear. All I know to tell you is that hurting people hurt others. about 80-90 percent of the people who hurt children were hurt when they were kids so they think it’s normal. And some of them just want to take out their frustration/pain/hurting on someone and kids are an easy target.
also some of it is that they have such low self-esteem that they are scared to put themselves out there to adults and people their age so they prey on the weak. They turn to kids, b/c they don’t think kids will reject them and they think they can control kids, which gives them a sense of power and confidence.
We also discussed pedophiles and sex offenders and that conversation was very twisted, mostly they described those people as having an impulse problem. It’s similar to any other addiction, they just can’t control themselves. (i know that sounds like I’m minimizing it, but I’m just trying to explain these people’s mindsets).
At the end, God gave us free will, sometimes I wonder why he did this, why didn’t he just make us all good. But I think it’s becuase we apprecaite the good so much more when have to go through the bad. And I think that painful times teach us a lot, sometimes we learn through pain better than when not in pain. Someone once said that “pain is God’s megaphone”.
Also God wanted us to learn lessons, he wants us to become stronger and better and He has a plan in our lives that we can’t see. All that pain may build us up so that we have the strength to deal with something even worse later in life.
In the end God works all things together for good. Even though it doesn’t make sense to us, it may be affecting someone else that we can’t see. Have you ever seen that movie “crash”? You should see it. That will explain it a lot better. it shows how sometimes bad things work out for good in others lives.
For example, if a women get’s raped, that’s a horrible terrible thing. But if that happened to her, she’s not going to lay down and die right there. She can get up and decide that she’s never goign to let that happen to her or anyone woman she knows ever again. She could start her own self-defense program adn go around the world edjucating women so that they can be safer and protect themselves. So even though one horrible thing happened, tons of womeon could be saved becuase of that.
IN addition, sometimes God lets us go through bad things so taht we can help others, so that we have sympathy for others. I mean, some of my friends in the program hae been abused and that’s why they chose to be counselors.
God can hijak your pain and use it for good.
does that make sense? If it doesn’t call me and we’ll talk about it some more