Why does God let bad things happen?
Throughout my entire life, literally since I was just 6 years old, I’ve continuously found myself asking this deeply painful question…
Our dear brother Jason was involved in a devastating motorcycle accident at 14 (I was 6) , and tragically, he didn’t survive.
When I was 12, my Grandpa lost his courageous battle with cancer. The last memory I have of him is a frail, skeletal figure, a shadow of the man he once was.
At 13, my other grandfather passed away after enduring years of debilitating health problems that slowly wore him down.
Then, at 14, my Maw-Maw and Aunt Betty were senselessly taken from us in a horrific accident caused by a drunk driver, and my cousin was left with severe injuries that changed her life forever.
Throughout those heart-wrenching years, I desperately tried to make sense of these tragedies, to understand why God would allow such suffering, but the answers never came in a way I could grasp.
Years later, at 35, our vibrant 18-year-old daughter Savannah was killed in a tragic car accident. Just 9 days before that, my children’s father’s first cousin, who they affectionately called Uncle Jason, suddenly lost his own battle with cancer.
The night Savannah died, I was overwhelmed with an anger so fierce toward God that I questioned everything I had ever believed. As I stood there, watching my teenage daughter lying helplessly on the cold living room floor,unable to stand, screaming in unbearable pain and shock, I found myself drowning in doubt, wondering if God was truly real at all or if He had abandoned us years before.
At 43, I faced the terrifying reality of almost losing my brother and best friend, yet somehow, through it all, God’s mysterious presence has remained quietly with us.
After Sav’s passing, we began seeing the most beautiful sunsets, vibrant and peaceful, almost as if they were silent signs from somewhere beyond… but then I asked myself, why would He take her away?
Several weeks later, I received a heartfelt message from the mother of one of Sav’s close friends telling me that her son didn’t believe in God until the very day of her funeral. Was that the reason for all this pain? Was that some kind of answer meant for me? No, it wasn’t good enough for my grieving heart. But wasn’t it enough for that mother, for that boy?
Then I started reflecting on my own life. At 14, I was drinking, getting high, and heading down a dangerous, wrong path. My journey hadn’t been straight and narrow since then, but losing someone to a drunk driver certainly forced me to slow down and reevaluate. What would I have done next if that tragedy hadn’t happened?
At 43, I found myself with no options left except to pray with every fiber of my being. I prayed for miracles, for guidance, for His will to be done… and amazingly, He heard me. Even a person like me, who once questioned His very existence, was not outside of His reach. Slowly but surely, miracles began to unfold — both within my mind and inside my brother’s healing body — showing me that, perhaps, faith and hope could coexist alongside pain and doubt.
I spend a lot of time praying, often seeking guidance and understanding. I have prayed many times for God to help me discover who the young girl was in the car accident with my brother back in 1987. Recently, I found her name tucked away in my grandmother’s belongings, a small piece of the past suddenly revealed. Of course, Google helped me put the pieces together, but the surprising part is that I have actually known this person for several years without realizing it. I have frequently prayed for her peace and well-being, always worried that she might carry some sense of guilt about that tragic day. It was important for me to let her know that our family has been taught to believe everything happens for a reason—that it was all part of God’s master plan.
So, why does God allow bad things to happen? I believe it’s connected to free will, and sometimes it happens to draw us closer to Him, or to capture someone’s attention in a life-changing way. I’m not entirely sure of the reasons, but I trust that God will reveal the purpose with time and patience.
On a brighter note, Ricky is doing great, and we have had zero health issues since moving to Highlands. Please continue to keep the prayers coming; your support means the world to us.
