Tsunamis

A lot of people ask a lot of questions about Me. Often when they can't get their questions answered sufficiently, they decide to put Me back on the shelf...until they experience chaos or trauma in their lives, in which case they forgot about the answers they need and call out for Me and hope that I AM forgiving and loving and will forget about their aforementioned attitudes.
Actually I AM a lot like that...I forgive and forget.
I know there are a lot of questions that don't seem to have answers. Some of them you will understand as you mature and go through some struggles. Some you will never get. some you will get just by human logic.
When people ask why bad things happen, they often get their answer just by realizing that you can't have an "UP" without a "DOWN," a front with a back, light without dark--and you just can't have good without bad. We could go into that a lot further and talk about free will and how you have to be able to choose to love or you can't have love.
but that isn't what this blog is about.
I want to talk today to those people who really love ME and who are often the recipients of the hard questions. I've watched a lot of you lately. And when one particular question is posed, you either give a naive answer or a dumb one...or many of you have no answer at all, and you begin to wonder about me yourself when you contemplate for a while.
I guess you're ready for the question now.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, 9/11... WHERE IS GOD IN ALL OF THAT?????

If He is a loving God, why would He let that happen?
I'M not going to give you an answer to this hard question. Actually, you're asking the wrong one. It shouldn't be "Why, God?" or, "Where were You, God?" as much as it should be, "Who are You, God?" But as I said, this blog isn't about answering the question. I'M just going to tell you what I desire. Often when you know what I desire, the questions don't bother you as much.
My desire is for all of you to be with me for eternity. You will live on earth for a little while first. The earth is flawed. So are the people who live there. That's why you'll only be there for a little while. You weren't even created for that to be your home...it's just a stopping off place. My desire is for as may of you as possible to get to know Me and love Me and serve Me. To put Me above all else. One of the ways you do that is by serving others.

When buildings fall and tsunamis hit and the flood waters take away life, My desire is this--that those who know Me, serve.
When the world is sending millions of dollars for relief, then Christians should be sending billions.
When the organizations of the world are sending relief to countries who are devastated, My people should be there in convoys...holding, helping, giving, building, loving, feeding.

The world should see that when the natural course of this flawed world causes chaos, the God of the universe works through...HIS people, and it is HIS hands that are holding on to those who have lost loved ones, His arms that are embracing those who need HIM. It is HIS love that has brought them food and money and water.
His heart hurts, and his people hurt...and they are the first ones there to help and the last ones to leave.
An interesting thing happens when someone comes alongside people going through trauma and walks with them through the turmoil, and they experience love and grace and help. Something changes. Ten years down the road when they look back, the grief is still there, but it is softer. What is still very strong and very vivid is the love and strength and support that was given by others, and the relationships developed and then continued. (The trauma is never remembered or forged in minds nearly as much as the good stuff...the God stuff.)
My desire is to use the hard things that come your way to strengthen and solidify your character, faith, and relationship with me. Everyone will die. Everyone will suffer at times. My desire is to hold on to you and love you during all of your hard times.
Where am I in the midst of all the chaos?
I AM right there in the middle, working through My people, helping, loving, guiding, giving all that is needed.
My desire, however, is...that a whole lot more of you realize what you are on the planet for, and you allow your hands and feet and dollars and hugs and hopes to be Mine in someone else's life.
Here's another thing to contemplate. If everyone was doing what I hope for them to do, then millions of people all over the world would already be telling other millions about Me and My love and My grace and what life was all about. And then of course that would create a big cycle of that happening all the time all over the place.
Then when the weird stuff happened (and don't get Me wrong here because I AM not trivializing this...when you hurt, so do I), here would be the result:

There is another life after this one...some people get to go there sooner than they expected.
For the survivors...if they let Me, they get to experience My grace and mercy in ways they never could have otherwise. Going through awful times together can make us grow closer, making the future much greater.

Here's something else for you to think about.
You see on the news the big events. You are aware of the earthquakes and floods and bombings. What you don't see is that many more thousands (than in any disaster that has happened) are dying every day of starvation and disease because they live in areas where they have no food and no knowledge of nutrition, no sanitation, no education.. Compared to any disaster in the headlines, the numbers are staggering.
If you all would work together and look at this short time I have given you on your planet and decide what is really important, you could make a magnificent impact.
Interesting, isn't it?

Some people are asking of Me: "Where are You when disaster hits?"

I'm asking you the same question.

Donoho 2005