Does Everything Happen for a Reason?

          A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People,” which turned out to be the highest viewed blog I have ever written.  After reflecting on that I realized that these challenging questions are those things that often need the most attention in our faith journey but that we often times choose to brush aside because of their sensitive nature.  This past Sunday, I was another “tough” question by one of our students which was “Is everything that happens really a part of God’s plan?”  This question was also raised by my four year old son this past week after I told him that I visited our stillborn daughter’s grave.  He asked me, “Daddy, why did God allow that to happen,” which was a question that I was not prepared to discuss with my four year old at the time.

            Is everything that happens really a part of a bigger plan or story that God is somehow weaving together to tell His Story?  The truth is that I personally believe that everything is connected and that there are lessons that we all can learn through the different situations that we face.  Please understand that I am merely pulling from own understanding, by making this statement, that God has taught me some powerful lessons from the biggest challenges I have endured during my faith journey. This question is another wonderful question that I wanted to take a few moments to unpack.

            One particular instance that I believe started a series of connected events in my life was when my son was born prematurely and placed in the NICU for the first month of his life.  Daily, my wife and I would lift up prayers to God asking for a miracle to heal our little boy who was spiraling in the wrong direction health-wise.  We found ourselves praying, crying, and listening to every little “ding” of the machines that were helping him.  We struggled with what God was teaching us through this situation but his time in the hospital connected to several other events in our lives both immediately and later down the road.

            First, his being in the hospital built up our character.  It demonstrated a need for us to trust in God and rely on His promises each day.  This character that we are able to have strengthened through this time of testing provided a solid (although often times it doesn’t feel that way) foundation for future situations that we would encounter.  I don’t think that we would be able to lean into God with as much trust as we try to now without this experience.  This is one way that we see a connection between multiple events in our lives.

            Second, his being in the hospital allowed us to give birth to joy, compassion, and hope.  We found ourselves starting to rejoice with the children/families that were able to go home before we were.  We found ourselves having compassion upon the children whose parents didn’t come to visit them often, and we had hope that our son would be healed and would go home with us soon.  We noticed that we were focusing on several of positive attributes of God such as joy, compassion, and hope rather than focusing on the negatives which changed our hearts and the attitudes of those around us.  By seeing this desire to focus on the positive rather than the negative we found ourselves willing to look for the positive in future situations as well, which has not always been easy.  This is the second way that we see a connection between multiple events in our lives.

            Third, his being in the hospital allowed us to be used by God for the good of others.  During our time in the hospital we were able to openly talk about our faith to the nurses and doctors, pray without a fear of being judged or persecuted, and answer questions about God, faith, and the role it played in our lives.  We have also been able to use this experience to speak God’s love into the lives of others who have had children in the NICU or even lost children when they needed some type of comfort the most.  This is the third way that we see a connection between multiple events in our lives.

            Ultimately, his time in the hospital led to a great deal of prayer, sharing our faith with others freely, and talking to others about their own children/faith journeys openly.  This one experience has altered the lens that I look through when I face other situations each day.  Do I think that everything is connected and we are a part of a much larger story, yes!  My challenge to you is to face the opposition you deal with head on asking the question, “What is God trying to teach me through this situation?”  Then utilize that lesson to alter your view towards challenging situations in the future because my guess is that you will be able to use those lessons in a positive way that will help you in the future.