Believe. Things can be very, very bad. And yet. Christians are told that God gave us free will, and we read in Wisdom 9:13a that we can’t understand what God’s intends. When something bad happens to us it is often because someone has exercised their free will in a negative way, or our dreams don’t come true, And yet, it doesn’t have to be all bad.
Like the rooms of twelve step programs and other self-help groups, the world is filled with horrific stories, sad stories, lost relationships, lost health, lost possessions, lost dreams, However God’s intention is love, and like those rooms, the world is also filled with compassion and love.
Because of the losses, because things were once very, very bad, people are able to listen, understand, witness, offer assistance and love each other. In all things, is that not what God intends we do for one another?
So, believe. No matter how bad things may seem, no matter how hurt we may feel, there is hope. Our hurt, our pain enables us to help someone else. Someone else’s hurt and pain enables them to help us. And through it all, God is with us.