Binghamton

In case you missed the local and national news regarding the Binghamton Massacre you can click there and get the general idea that a very disgruntled man took out his anger on strangers by shooting them.
This scenario has a repetitive sequence that anyone can relate to.." oh yea...remember...Columbine, September 11, the Oklahoma City bombing, the World Trade Center, the guy who killed people in the nursing home...." the list is unforgiving and endless. However, in the past few weeks I have heard the same question over and over again. "Why would God let this happen or why would God allow this to happen?"
Ugh, what a heavy questions and in a way a legitimate ones. I cannot pretend that in one blog or 1 million blogs I can really answer that question. But, I can ask a few others just to try and think outside the proverbial box.
In pondering those very questions, I have to ask... if God did allow those things to happen...what has he prevented that we know nothing about? What horrific calamities did He stop instead? We can't really know, but its something to think about. We can only ask questions about what we know. We know about Binghamton and we know about Sept. 11, but can we possibly thank God for sparing us from worse? I think so. Who are we to know what he as saved us from?
I also have to wonder, if someone chooses to question God when the horrible things happen...how did they relate to God prior? Did they thank Him profusely for the wonderful events in life? Did they praise Him for the health of their children, their job for the beautiful sunset they saw that day? So, I often wonder why people choose to deal with God or even blame Him for the bad stuff, when they don't deal or thank Him for the good stuff? I am just throwing questions out there :)
Here is one more thought.... What about our free choice? If we are mad at God for allowing the bad things ( like someone CHOOSING to shoot people in Binghamton) are we to be mad at Him for choosing to allow us a free will? Think about that. If God stopped all the bad things (including some minor stupid decisions we make every day) then, He would have to eliminate our free choice. We would then be puppets. Good puppets, but puppets all the same. In reverse, if we put God in the position where we demanded he put a stop to all bad things....then in turn, He becomes a puppet. Neither situation seems ideal really.
So, I don't know why God allowed those people to be killed in Binghamton or why bad things happen to good people, I do know that God LOVES each person and they did not die without his knowledge. However, his gift of free will that He gave to the people He loves, was given to imperfect people who make bad choices. Perhaps acknowledging that a wonderful gift has been abused is slightly more accurate that angrily pumping our fists at the sky and asking why.

I know its easier said when no one I know was actually killed, but I do know what its like to look at my brother after a car accident and know that his life was dangling by a thread. I did not know he would survive and the very "why God?" question was on the tip of every tongue in the hospital that day. So, believe me, I understand the passion behind the question, I understand the fury and the confusion. But, life and death is about so much more than whose to blame.

Anyway, that has been gnawing at me for a little while :)

On a completely different topic. Its day #33 of P90x and I have survived. Though sometimes I wonder what the heck I am doing, I have to admit there are good changes! I am almost at the end of week five...and it seems crazy that I am ONLY 1/3 of the way done! WHAT! But, its slowly becoming a routine and I am not sure I'll be able to give it up after 90 days. I might cut back a little, but I have to say - now that my body is used to its daily torture...its at least responding. I have even convinced one or two other people to give it a try...ya know...if they can handle it ;)

Ok, i'm done.