WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

My husband and I were watching the news earlier this evening when we heard a tiny, high-pitched beep, over and over. At first I thought it was one of my hearing aid batteries although it wasn't the usual beep they make. Eventually Rex traced it to our built-in electric oven! After contacting professional help via the web, we learned the control panel needed to be replaced to the tune of just over $200! Rex has said for some time that the stove, the frig, the dishwasher and the oven could "die" because of old age. (Help, we're old, too!!!)

Recently a friend who works in a three-person office was unexpectedly hospitalized and will be on a six-week forced vacation at the same time that a coworker has a six-week leave-of-absence, leaving one individual to "hold down the fort!" Someone made a statement to the effect that God knows what He is doing.

Hey -- who said God sent that sickness? I don't recall of ever reading in the Bible that God sent sickness -- not even Job. He permitted Job's troubles, but didn't send them. Sickness and disease are the result of sin. In fact, such things didn't exist before sin entered the world. I would be more inclined to say that Satan is the author of disease.

Why do some people blame God for all such unexpected happenings, claiming it's His will, His judgment, His punishment? And still other people blame the devil for all unexpected circumstances.

Come on -- let's use the common sense God has endowed us with. Yes, many times the evil one does send unexpected incidents to us. Other times, we bring a lot of our heartaches on ourselves through carelessness. That's what happened toward the end of our vacation when Rex and I both caught colds. Why? From sitting in a draft trying to cool off quickly! Can't blame that on either God or the devil!

Disobedience to God's rules can cause problems. We try to eat 27 hotdogs in ten minutes just to win a hotdog eating contest like the guy we saw on TV last week. We get a stomach ache and blame it on the devil. Hey, how about blaming it on our stupidity of ignoring dietary laws???

As far as our oven goes, that's just the result of ordinary life, of appliances wearing out due to age and use! The unexpected can happen as the result of many things including our own mistakes and failures! Yes, I do believe that God is aware of everything that happens in our lives, including the unexpected, but that doesn't mean He is responsible!

So when the unexpected happens, let's not try to blame it on either God or Satan! Let's accept the good with the bad, regardless of its source, as a part of life and go on our way rejoicing in His love and care.

Preacher's Kid