Christian Living

---

Is God Mean?
©
by

Stephen A. Peterson


Renee Webber, 16, was getting ready to celebrate what she considered to possibly be the best day in her life. With two huge treats coming up, she thought this would be the best birthday of all time. She and her father were going to a George Strait concert with front row seats. After the concert, she and her father would go out to one of the finest, most expensive restaurants in San Antonio where they would eat dinner with this world famous singer.

Renee pictured herself talking to George Strait while everyone else could only look, stare or be in awe at her presence with him. Her mind was so busy rehearsing the events now only three days away that she didn’t notice how weak she had become. Some days she felt so tired and light headed. She thought, however, it was because she was excited about the upcoming George Strait concert.

The next morning, though, she knew something was wrong. Her mother felt her head then brought out the thermometer and found she had a high fever. Renee felt so sick she could not even sit up straight without falling off to the side. She stared at the ceiling listening to her father on the telephone trying to find someone who could use the George Strait concert tickets.

Despite her weakness, Renee found enough energy to cry and pound her pillow. “Gosh, what a stupid time to get sick!” she thought. “Why me? Why me?” God must have planned this just to get even with me for not going to church last Sunday.” Then she thought to herself that it just didn’t make sense. God is supposed to love everyone. God doesn’t play mean tricks on people. So why is God letting this happen to me. I’m confused!”

A flash of pain rocketed through her body. “Maybe this will go away. Maybe this is just for a day. Maybe its something it ate.” Renee could not think that she could get worse but the idea of having to stay in bed on such a nice fall day was just killing her spirits. Brooding all day about not being able to go to the George Strait concert and have a personal visit and dinner with the famous singer deprived her of the sleep she desperately needed to get better. Finally, when her mother cam to check on her well-being, she shouted: “I don’t believe there is a God anymore!” Then because it sounded like an awful thing to say much less think, she worried that God would punish her even more.

“You really do feel hurt, angry and disappointed don’t you honey?” said her mother.

Renee closed her eyes relieved to feel the gentle touch of her mother’s cool hand about her burning forehead. “Do you ever wonder if there is really a God?” she asked her mother.

“I have never been 100% certain each and every moment of my life,” she said. “Just like you, I’ve sometimes felt that the world’s only purpose was to make me miserable. That hell is living here on earth. That God is powerless to do anything to help us. Then I wonder about the existence and power of God. But then I think that what if God did everything for us protected us from everything? Wouldn’t we protest? Wouldn’t we challenge His authority? Wouldn’t we be any better than all of His living creatures who behave according to His assigned purpose? But God loves us enough to give us the freedom to choose or not to choose Him. Because we sin, don’t eat right, get enough rest or receive a test to check our health now we want to dismiss God or believe something is wrong with Him.”

“Mom, what I’ve said or thought about God must really make Him mad.”

“No, I wouldn’t say mad but disappointed. God is so loving, has so much mercy and is so compassionate and forgiving that He will forgive you for what you’ve done against Him. When you were real little, Renee, you used to cry day and night because you were hungry, needed to be changed or you just wanted to know that someone was there watching over you. You made life interesting for me and your father. But because we loved you and wanted you, we were willing to make sacrifices for you. I imagine God is much the same way with you, me, all of we humans. Whatever we do to Him, God never takes it out on us. Illnesses, disappointments, death to someone we hold near and dear to our hearts never occurs because God is punishing a person. Humankind brought these things to the world by sin.

After talking to our doctor and describing your condition, she said you have the flu. She said you should be okay in a few days with rest and food to maintain and increase your strength and health. Missing the George Strait concert will have a silver lining. There will be other opportunities. You will see!”

Afterwards, Renee fell into a deep sleep. Sleep she needed to get well physically and more importantly, spiritually.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE