“Why do bad things happen?”
It’s a question people ask all the time, whether they believe in God or not. Short answer: that’s just a part of life. Bad things don’t necessarily mean that you’ve done something wrong, or that you’re reaping a consequence. Sometimes, bad things just happen.
I know of a family who is waiting for a heart transplant for their toddler, people who have lost loved ones, and others who are undergoing terrible diseases. No one would ever say they “deserve” that. It’s just unthinkable.
But still, bad things happen.
Earlier this month, we lost one of our dogs, Sam. I’d never been through the loss of a pet like that before (well, besides our childhood gerbils. That’s an interesting story you can ask me about some other time), and it hit me a lot harder than I thought it would.
Sam was 11…the biggest and most loving dog I’ve ever seen. We got him as a couple before we were even engaged. I remember my dad asking “are you sure you want to get a dog together? What if something happens…” (I of course was not worried about that aspect one bit). I remember the day CJ got him from the humane society and picked me up after band practice in college…the start of our little family.
He’d been with us through everything – countless moves, job changes, anniversaries, the birth of our children…he had seen it all. And when he was gone, I cried. A lot.
Funny enough, part of my Bible reading that week came from 2 Corinthians (verses 3-7). Paraphrasing, it says that God comforts us in all of our afflictions, so that we can pay it forward and comfort those who are experiencing hard times and afflictions as well.
I’m taking this out of context, but I think the message still holds true: the bad things we go through in this life help us to understand and comfort others who go through similar experiences.
These things shape us and make us who we are. They give us “common ground” with others. They make us more compassionate. More empathetic.
No difficult time is easy or enjoyable as we go through it. But if we look, there are always ways that we can use those experiences for good and for the encouragement of others.
We love you, Sam.
❤ 2010-2022 ❤