Why do bad things happen to good people?
Keep in mind there is some “good” in bad people and some “bad” in good people. No one is perfect, we are all human. We are all subject to our imperfections. Temptations to do things the easy way are always in front of us. The easy way isn’t always the best way. It may work, but not always the way we want it to. We often need to put extra effort into whatever we are doing.
So why do bad things happen to good people? Is it just part of life? We live in a very complex world, with far too many different factors to deal with everyday. Is there some force or power that determines what happens and why? Something we don’t know about or even understand? Why does a community suffer the drastic affects of a bad storm or tornado? The damage, injuries and loss of life is devastating and tragic. How does this community recover from Mother Nature’s wrath? Lots of people and groups come to the aid of the stricken town, but why did this happen? What caused this community to be “selected” for devastation?
Why does a “good” law-abiding citizen who always does the right thing, who helps those in need, suffer from a life threatening injury or disease? Is it by chance? Or is it the luck (bad luck) of the draw? Life doesn’t always play fair. When someone or some family who doesn’t follow the rules of society seem to get away with questionable behavior. How does this affect the rest of us? Should it?
Is there an explanation for any of this? One that makes sense? Is life really a test to see how we deal with adversity or good fortune? Who or what determines any of this? Whether we believe in the Creator (God) or not, some believe that the earth was created by an intelligent power, call it “Mother Nature.” The earth is a living, growing organism. Like any living thing it will change over time. What happens is based on Nature. When something bad happens, how we react to it is how we may be judged, by “Mother.”
When adversity strikes, how we handle it may be a real test. Do we complain, get mad, whine and cry? When something good happens, do we gloat, brag, show off, or otherwise make sure everyone knows about it? How we deal with the good and the bad that happens to us is how we will be judged, by our friends and strangers, but most importantly by the Judge Supreme – Mother Nature – the Creator. Whether we believe or not.
Herb Dettmer is a retired Bowling Green resident, U.S. Army veteran and writes this column representing the viewpoint of “Joe Average” citizen. He is freelance writer and author of “Others,” a devotional book. Call or text “Joe” with comments at 419-494-4641.
