Tangles

Last night as I was putting the girls down for bed, we read through the story of Joseph in their children's bible. Even in the simplified version, it addresses one of the focal passages in that account. All of the bad things that happened to Joseph happened for a reason. Sometimes God allows us to get to see the reason, sometimes He doesn't. Joseph, had amazing clarity in this area. In retrospect, he says this to his brothers, "'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'" (Gen. 50:19-20) He says this decades after having be sold into slavery, wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct and spending years in a dungeon as a result.

I think one of the hardest questions that followers of Christ face is why does God allow bad things to happen. We may never know all the specifics. I have had horrible things to me and to those I love. Some of it I have gotten to see good result, others not yet. I read a story this morning about Corrie ten Boom that really captures the whole issue of perspective. I wanted to share it with you she has incredible insight into the whole world of suffering,

"Corrie used to speak to audiences about her horrific experiences in the concentration camps, and she would often look down while she talked. She wasn't reading her notes. She was actually working on a piece of needlepoint. After sharing about the doubt and anger and pain she experienced, Corrie would reveal the needlepoint. She would hold up the backside of the needlepoint to reveal a jumble of colors and threads with no discernible pattern. And she'd say, 'This is how we see our lives.' Then she would turn the needlepoint over to reveal the design on the other side, and Corrie would conclude by saying, 'This is how God views your life, and someday, we will have the privilege of viewing it from His point of view.'"

- Mark Batterson, In a Pit, With a Lion, on a Snowy Day.