“ Life doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to,” Grams always said. Every time she said it, I wondered what she meant. It was like an old Chinese proverb that I only partially understood. One day when she said those words, I questioned her about it.

“ Just when I think I have the world figured out,” she replied, “ I find something else to ponder over. Life isn’t predictable, despite how much I want it to be.” Grams was like that, always wanting to have the answer to problems. She would sit in her rocker on the porch for hours and just think about the world and the people in it.

I never really understood that until I got older. Then I began seeing for myself that life really didn’t have any rhyme or reason to it. I mean, things just seemed to happen whether you wanted them to or not, and I could never figure out why. Soon, it was something I was pondering, too. Grams always said that even though it was fun to try to figure things out, it was a relief just to know God was in control. I always wondered why a loving God allowed bad things to happen.

I never said that to Grams, though. She seemed so content just in the knowledge that God had a purpose for it. So I kept those thoughts to myself. Later on I wished I hadn’t. I wanted to know how Grams would answer the question, “Why does God let bad things happen?”

Well, I can’t ask her anymore. But I still think about it. My head tells me God has a purpose for everything, but sometimes I still have questions that are hard to answer!

Dear Joy,

I went to town today and heard some news about a dear friend. She was killed in a car accident two days ago. Some say she led a full life and it was just her time to go, but I’m glad I have the Lord. Because of Him, I see a different perspective.

I know you have heard me quote Romans 8:28 before. (“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are

the called according to His purpose.”) What a blessed assurance He has given us in that verse. I don’t know why my friend was in that car accident two days ago, but the Lord allowed it for a reason. And I am okay with that, even though I will miss my friend.

I’ve seen you thinking about these things when some little tragedy has touched your world. You wonder at God’s allowing such things, don’t you? I can think of another person who wondered at what God had given him. Job was a godly man, but many awful things happened to him and his family. I can read his story and wonder, “Why did God allow all of that?” But I don't have to wonder for very long, because the Bible tells us. God allowed Job to be tempted (that’s what all those awful things were) to test his faithfulness. The Lord Himself said of Job, “There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil.” (See Job 1:8 for the reference!)

Can you imagine the Lord saying that about you? I know I can’t imagine it about me! But Job was a very godly man, and God allowed bad things to happen to him to test his faith. Sometimes situations arise in which we are tested, just like Job. Not always, but sometimes. It is my desire to be faithful to Him in situations like that, as I pray you will be throughout your life.

But sometimes things happen for other reasons, too, and not just because someone is being tested. Sometimes there is evil in the world (and occasionally, manifested in our own situations) simply because God allows it to be there. Evil will always flourish whenever it is allowed to take root. Remember that.

God has given us a precious gift: the gift of choice. By His grace, He enables us to make many wise choices, some that greatly further His kingdom here on earth! But some choices we make aren’t good ones. Some people make a lot of bad decisions. And bad decisions always have results. Some of those reach other people and not just ourselves. Don’t ever think that your decisions don’t affect anyone but yourself!

I know many people wonder why God allows bad things to happen. I don’t have all the answers, but I think it’s just because God has allowed us so much choice. When people make bad decisions, it affects other people.

If a man makes a decision to rob a bank, someone might be hurt or killed. It’s one of the effects of his decision to walk into a building with a gun.

I hope you will never rob a bank! But you will make decisions all throughout your life. I hope you will remember that you have the power to affect other lives by your decisions. It’s a great responsibility God

has given us. If you choose to be happy, you might cause another person to smile. If you choose to be angry, you will tear other people down.

Can you see what a responsibility this is? I hope you learn it early on. Paul once said, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). He gave the reason for that, too: so that God will not be mocked. God gives us the choice, but then places the responsibility in our hands to do what is right.

I hope you will make that choice!

All my love,

Grams