Hi Mike! It's very difficult for us Christians to come to terms with the physical death of a loved one. My brother died from cancer a 51, leaving a 16 year-old daughter and 13 year-old son. Within 11 weeks, my Mom died, then my sister a couple years later. During those times I went through much the same struggle with God. I'll share with you the understanding I came to. First, for those who died, physical death is just a transition to eternal life for those who believe in God. They are far better off than their illness would allow them here on Earth. Paul refers to death as planting our weak, temporary body as a seed for a permanent, eternal body. Second, though it's difficult for us to accept while we're grieving, bad things happen to good and bad people alike. Jesus said, "it rains on the just and the unjust." The Bible teaches that sickness and death entered the world through the sin of Adam...not our sin. Yes, we reap what we sow, but we're also reaping Adam's crop. That's why God made a way through Jesus for us to be reconciled to God. Third, though everything happens for a reason, it isn't always for us to know the reason. My brother's cancer led him to Jesus and brought our family closer than we had ever been. It revealed the selfishness and corruption of the pastoral staff I was working with, ending that ministry and beginning this one. Really, we won't have a clue how much good God is doing during these times until, like your friend, we're with God. Have faith that God never wastes a hurt and begin to try and see the good God is doing. I hope this helps a little. I can tell you from experience, nothing makes loss easy to take. God will understand if you shake your fist at heaven and express the hurt you feel, like I did. Sometimes I think it's the most honest prayer, telling our Father we don't understand why He let us get hurt. I'll be praying for you.
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Love & Hugs, Glen
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