Brave Enough To Be Bliss

On Mar 18, 2022, at 9:09 PM, Ginger Bliss wrote to Kathryn: I took the following from a chapter of the book I'm writing. While it is a very rough draft of something I write about related to faith, I wanted to go ahead and share it with you after our talk this evening. I am no expert on anything, especially faith, and these are just my thoughts that surfaced a few years ago. I still believed in God, but I couldn't believe in the things that I had been told in church any longer like things always happen for a reason, like our lives are all planned out by God. I just couldn't believe that any longer because I just couldn't believe that the Jesus, I know would not only allow but plan many of the awful things that happen in this world...nope, I couldn't believe that anymore because if He would plan such things then that's not something I could believe in. So, my choice was to abandon my faith entirely or open my mind to thinking about things differently than I had been told previously. At that point, I started thinking about religion in general at the same time I was thinking about fear and control, a key theme in the book. I won't go into it all, but I am hopeful that perhaps something in the following words will speak to your heart and provide you with some comfort related to your brother and your faith because at least I thought I heard some struggle you were starting to express, but then stopped. I do believe that bad things, sad things, tragic things, awful things...just happen on this earth, but that love has the power to remind us that even though these bad, sad, tragic, awful things happen in this life, there are people who can help us find hope, help and healing. Through all the imperfect human beings on this earth, we can still find those who will wrap their arms around us and love us in such a way we are reminded of the goodness that also exists in this world. In that way, I believe God provides for us and helps us through the worst things reminding us that the worst things are never the last things as we have a heavenly home to look forward to where these types of things will no longer exist.

Here's the excerpt...very rough still, but since much of it is from our pastor who is an expert, I'm hoping there might be a few thoughts that help comfort and sustain you...

I have found it interesting that many people, even those who at other times would say they don’t believe in God, blame God wh en something bad happens. In our country there has been an effort to keep God out of virtually everything except when it comes to natural disasters then it still seems to be ok to refer to them as Acts of God. When something bad happens, it seems to be human nature to want to blame God. Blaming God allows us to take back some level of control because without God to blame, we would have to admit that bad things can just happen and accept that we do not have control of everything that happens in this world.

“ God hath not promised skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above, Unfailing sympathy, undying love." Johnson Flint

At my church, the sermon series following Christmas this year was about doubt. Following is the description from the church website (cor.org).

Everyone has doubts. Where is God when bad things happen? Does God hear our prayers? Does God really love me? Is there a heaven? But questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith. They're the path to a deeper faith. Come with us as we wrestle with faith together. In Pastor Adam Hamilton’s e-note following the final sermon covering where God is when bad things happen, he said this, “In last weekend’s sermon, we spoke about God and suffering. I suggested that just because something happens does not mean it was God’s will. God is not micromanaging everything that happens. Much of what happens in the world is clearly not God’s will. Suffering often is the result of nature’s forces, the nature of our bodies (amazing, resilient, but not indestructible) and h uman decisions. Further, God does not usually suspend the laws of nature, or human freedom, to keep us from harm (that does not preclude God from doing so, it is just not God’s ordinary way of working). So, if God is not directly intervening in our world, what does God do? God created the cosmos, offers us this amazing planet and all that is needed to support life. God came to us in Jesus to show us the way, the truth and the life. By his suffering, death and resurrection he demonstrates his life, redeems us, and gives us hope. God works through his Spirit in our hearts and lives, to comfort, console, strengthen, encourage, guide and lead us. And God works through us as his instruments of comfort, consolation and help for others. I am reminded of the powerful affirmations of scripture like “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). It is the strengthening of my spirit, the en- courage - ing that God does, that helps me face challenges. I think of Paul’s words a few verses earlier in Philippians, that the result of prayer is, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will g uard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). I think of the promise of Jesus that, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20) and “I am the resurrection and the life, those who believe in me will never die” (John 11:25) We remember his promise that nothing can separate us from his love, and that he will force good from evil and suffering and that in the end, death has been “swallowed up by a victory.” I think of the healing I’ve seen God do in people’s hearts and minds, or the way that God brings ,

282