His Perfect Timing and Plan

Recently my (Christian) granddaughter posted a plea on Facebook for her friends to “pray for her” as she wants to have another baby.

My granddaughter has Type 1 diabetes.

During her teenage years, she didn’t eat right and had a laissez-faire attitude about her condition (typical among many diabetic teenagers). Fortunately, when she reached adulthood, she became more serious about her health and started taking better care of herself. However, her neglect during her early years has resulted in her experiencing some of the symptoms of the disease.  Nothing too serious, but as is common to diabetes things will, unfortunately, worsen over the years.

When she became pregnant the first time (which, from what I understand, did not come easily), many in the family were concerned as complications are not unusual. As it turns out, she took care of herself and was able to deliver a healthy little girl.

Now she feels she is ready for a second child.

I’m unaware of the circumstances related to the struggles they had in her becoming pregnant the first time, but apparently they are again present … which is why she posted her plea on Facebook.

Naturally, her many friends rallied around her with the usual platitudes related to prayer. (“Praying for you; Keeping you in my prayers; Keep the faith, there’s power in prayer; Time to get back on my knees”). Non-believer grandma, however, posts this:

Have you considered the thought that perhaps it isn’t in Gods plan for you to have another child? Perhaps there’s a reason things are so difficult.

I was pleased when one of her friends wrote: “Everything is in His perfect timing and plan” as it seems to me this should be the mindset of every believer. If God truly loves and cares for his subjects as much as they want to believe, then why not simply leave things in “his” hands? Why must one petition God again and again and again … and recruit others in the faith to do the same?

Of course I know the answer. But I still have to ask the question.

God’s Plan and Purpose – Really?

I just finished reading a blog post that made my toes curl. The writer is a Christian (or claims to be), yet this is what he posted:

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, Before you were born I set you apart. Jeremiah 1:5

There are no accidents with God; He has a plan and purpose for every life.

At first blush, it appears the blog owner’s post is in response to the tragic shootings that recently took place in Dallas where five law enforcement officers were killed. However, in one of his responses to a comment, he writes that he had hoped the post would be “purposely vague, open-ended.” In other words, no matter what the circumstances, the invisible guy in the sky is directing everything that happens.

For me, there are so many things wrong with this statement and I said so in a comment … BUT … my comment never appeared. Apparently I’m banned, although I’m not sure why — perhaps because any past comments I’ve made are usually in disagreement with the blog owner?  😉

Anyway, this is what I wrote and since I think many of my readers feel the same, I decided to share it here.

[Blog Owner], to me this post is nothing but hurtful to those who have lost loved ones in not only the Dallas tragedy, but also in Minnesota and Louisiana, along with Florida and Connecticut and So. Carolina and California and Oregon and Virginia and … need I go on?

When you’re grieving and tears are racking your body as you realize the person you love will never again speak to you, hug you, look at you, walk with you, laugh with you … do you honestly, in your heart of hearts, believe that a person is “comforted” by the words: There are no accidents with God; He has a plan and purpose for every life?

Truly if you believe it is god’s plan and purpose to violently and unexpectedly take someone’s life, then something is seriously wrong with your god.