Summer 2016

Dear Neighbor,

What if you were to ask God, “Why do You let so many bad things happen?” What might He say? Maybe something like this:

I let some bad things happen because I love you! I do not create you to be My puppets or robots; I create you to be free. If I stopped you every time you thought of doing something stupid or hurtful, you would not be free. And if you were not free to do evil, you would not be free to choose not to do evil and instead to do good things.

I love you, and I want to make you happy forever. I want you to love Me as I love you, because then we will be close to each other. But if I did not let you reject Me and choose hell if you want to, you would not be free to come to Me and choose heaven. I cannot make you love Me.

Because I love you, I want you to be free and enjoy having responsibility for your life. I want you to be happy helping others and accomplishing useful things, and refraining from doing selfish and hurtful things.

Behind the scenes, I am quietly leading you away from choosing evil and toward choosing good, but the choice is yours. I am always supplying you with inspiration and ideas, with love and with wisdom, to enable you to live a good life. But I never stop you from making your own free choices, no matter how sad they may be.

Evil desires and tragic events are like heavy weights. The more you resist being dragged down by bad motives and sad situations, the stronger and wiser you become in willing and doing what is good. In this way I turn bad things to good use. You can learn from your mistakes and sins, and those of others, and become a more truly and deeply loving person.

Next time you are feeling sad about a tragedy that has taken place, you can know that I care deeply for you and all the people caught up in that event. I am deeply involved with each of you, limiting the hurt as much as I can, given your choices and considering the eternal happiness of each person.

Remember My words in Luke 12:6-7: “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

You are welcome to come to worship the Lord our God on Sundays at 10:00 a.m.

Sincerely,

Rev. Lawson M. Smith