Apparently the girls are better today, when I arose I noticed that the theme had changed, from "why life sucks" to "why life is amazing". I am glad to see that the ice cream depression is gone and the joys of life are back in full swing, although it seems as they still have a bit too much flex left and have been consistant in spending it instantaneously in the market. When I read this the hymn "I'm trading my sorrow's" came to mind, and replayed throughout the day.

For the Sorrow may last for the night,
But Joy comes with the morning.

Seeing this really reminded me of how people sometimes think that just because we are Christian's that our lives will never have issues, that we will never get depressed, or look down on our own lives. Wrong. We will, and do, we get all of the ailments of the outside world, we have no protective bubble that keeps all of the "bad stuff" out of our lives. Nothing that prevents people from falling into addictions, abuse, ill to cancer... Nothing, were just like the rest of the world. Except, we have hope that when we do fall that there is someone to pick us back up and gets us running again.

As I ponder upon this verse of the song I remind myself of it's double meaning, not only does God take away our pains and comfort us with his eternal love, but he sent His son to die. DIE, for ME!! Why? I find myself asking it all the time, why me? Why would He chose me, to die for? How could someone Love me so much that he would die for me to live? But then it always forces me to think, if God loves me enough to die for me, why does he let bad things happen to me?

A number 1 bus drove into a column of young Royal Marine cadets in Chatham, and killed twenty-three of them. They were ten-year-old boys, marching and singing on their way to a boxing match. The road was unlit. The driver didn't see them. It was a terrible accident. Nobody was to blame. Except... (pointing upwards) Now, where was He? Why didn't He stop it? What possible point can there be to such a tragedy? Isn't God supposed to be good? Isn't God supposed to love us? - Shadowlands (William Nicholson)

With that in mind, why does God let anything bad happen to those that love Him? The Holocaust, Famine, September 11 2001? Hmmm? Thousands of innocent people died in these events and yet we say we have a God that loves us. If He loved us so much why did he let a plane crash into the north tower at 8:46am, and all of the attacks that followed? Where was He?

God creates us free, free to be selfish, but he adds a mechanism that will penetrate our selfishness and wake us up to the presence of others in the world, and that mechanism is called suffering. To put it in another way, pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Why must it be pain? Why can't He wake us up more gently, with violin or laughter? Because the dream that we must be awaken from is that all is well.

God loves us, so much He makes us the gift of suffering. Through suffering, we release the hold on the toys of this world, and know our true good lies in another world. - Shadowlands (William Nicholson)

So where was God on September 11th 2001? He was very busy, He was trying to discourage anyone from taking those flights. The four planes held over 1,000 passengers and there were only 266 aboard. He was on four commercial flights giving terrified passengers the ability to stay calm. On one of the flights He was giving wisdom & strength to passengers to try and overtake the high-jackers, so that others might be spared. He was busy trying to create obstacles for employees at the World Trade Center. After all, only around 20,000 were at the towers when the 1st jet hit. Since the buildings held over 50,000 workers this was a miracle in itself. He was holding up two 110 story buildings so that 2/3 of the workers could get out. It was so amazing that the top of the towers didn't topple as the jets impacted. And when they did fall they fell inward. God didn't allow them to topple over as many more lives would have been lost.

And He does the same still today, He tests us and tries us, to show us that we are weak and helpless without Him. That without Him these pains that break our back and bring a sweat to our brow, would make us crumple, that we would snap like a toothpick, at the sight of pain. But He gives us something more, He re-enforces us, He is always with us and He will never forsake us.

"I am just a toothpick, duct-taped to a steel pole"