Magnets

I know of so many people who just seem to be avenues of bad luck, bad karma, disfavor (or whatever you want to call it). Its like they are a magnet for disaster. Its like no matter what they do, there's a challenge in front of them. And I don't just mean the daily challenges we all face. I'm talking about big things: like cancer, or the death of a loved one, or a car accident or filing for bankruptcy. Now, to be fair, there are a few things they can control, however, what I'm talking about is the circumstantial disasters that are outside of their control.

As a pastor, what do I say to this kind of person? How do I speak of God's blessings and goodness to them when their reality is an established pattern of hardship, tragedy and struggle. I usually try to offer them the hope of good things to come. I believe life is a series of seasons. Now, the hard part is when the season of disaster lasts like 10 years. That's more than a season, that's a decade!

I think the answer lies in the notion of God's goodness. What does it mean that God is good? If our circumstances aren't good, does that change God's nature? I don't think so. What we experience in life is not always a refleciton of who God is, because we live in a fallen world. Part of being a Christian is seeing who God is no matter what is going on in our lives. My heart just goes out to people who are magnets for disaster. I know bad things happen to everyone, but some people just seem to be exist as perpetual harborers of bad luck and disfavor.

More to come on the next blog.