He is in the Hurricane

My heart is as heavy as it is amazed.  Hearing the story of two little boys swept out of their mother’s arms in this storm is too devastating to even wrap my mind around.  At the very same time, I am in awe of how God protected all of the babies at NYU; little tiny things who were relying on respirators to breathe and yet not a single one lost their life while being evacuated.  I think it’s impossible to fully comprehend why God chose to protect some and let others go.  I don’t think we’re supposed to.  It seems so unfair right?

But what if God protected us from every disaster?   What if not one life was ever taken tragically?  What if there were never tragedies in the first place?  What would happen?  The bible actually answers this:

For I envied the arrogant


when I saw the prosperity of the wicked

They have no struggles;


their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from the burdens common to man;
    

they are not plagued by human ills.

Therefore pride is their necklace;
    

they clothe themselves with violence.

From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
   

 the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

They scoff, and speak with malice;
   

 in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
  

  and their tongues take possession of the earth.

Therefore their people turn to them
 

   and drink up waters in abundance. 

They say, “How can God know?
   

Does the Most High have knowledge?”  Psalm 73:4-11 NIV84

If our lives were entirely free from pain and suffering, we would turn our backs on the God who created us.  His primary concern is not for our personal earthly happiness and security.  It’s for our heart to be turned to Him.  When bad things happen we look to God for comfort, for reassurance, and for hope.  He gladly provides it.   We also look to each other for support.  Suddenly neighbors are reaching out to help each other.  People are putting others before themselves.  We toss our own selfishness to the side for a moment and really care for people.   It would be nice if it did, but it just doesn’t happen when all is well in the world. 

So while I don’t understand why some were spared and others were not, I don’t have to.  I can trust in God who knows all things.  I can pray He would comfort the ones who are hurting and draw them into His arms.  I can thank Him for miraculously saving others.  I’ll close by including some of the lyrics from a song I listened to today by Big Daddy Weave, “The Hurt and the Healer”:

Why?

The question that is never far away

But healing doesn't come from the explained

Jesus please don't let this go in vain

You're all I have, all that remains

So here I am

What's left of me

Where Glory meets my suffering

CHORUS

I'm alive

Even though a part of me has died

You take my heart and breathe it back to life

I fall into Your arms open wide

When the hurt and the Healer collide