The Wind

A friend of mine asked me last night why God allows people to hurt. He questioned my beliefs based upon his own past hurts. If there is a God, why does he let children die of cancer? Why do people say that when something goes our way it is a gift from God, but we are being punished or tested when something goes wrong? How do I know God really exist? The answer is simple, but hidden beneath the simplicity is a complexity that I too am working to figure out. There are many things that I do not know, but I will share with you what I do. I don’t have all the answers, but I do have faith. I know that this world is not a mistake. How can someone look to the evening sky and not feel inspired by the multiplicity of the stars? This world is so intricately put together, that even the moon serves a purpose. I don’t believe that God inflects pain and suffering without purpose. I know that without suffering we would not have compassion. Why a parent has to bury their child I do not yet understand. I think that every life is a gift, and though some lives are cut short, I believe they did indeed have a significant purpose. I think that our daily lives are both challenged and blessed. We all have a purpose and path to choose. God gave us that right of choice. People question religion, as do I. My faith is not blinded, but validated daily. I don’t stress about religion, but focus instead on a relationship. My prayers are more a conversation rather then a ritual. I have been asked multiple times why I believe in a God I have never seen. My answer is always the same. God to me is a lot like the wind. I cannot see him, but I can feel him and see what he is doing. He is a constant.

The Serenity Prayer
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. “
--Reinhold Niebuhr