Part of the Plan?

Is it in God's plan for people to die at certain times or in certain ways?

You know, it's kind of funny - I spent most of my Saturday at a training where this kind of question was addressed due to the situation we might find ourselves in as ministers of care (see previous posts for more details about this ministry).

However, this question came from students today as we discussed our latest chapter in Family Life. And, I'll admit, I didn't have the words to give a definitive answer. Some people say that God brings struggles into our lives to teach us something. Some people say that God doesn't make evil things happen to people - that such things are a result of the absence of God.

What do I say? My jury's still out on that one. I can't pretend I know how God works or why certain things happen to certain people.

As a priest on Saturday pointed out, we seem the most concerned with justice or fairness with death (or tough life issues) when it comes down to us and the loved ones in our lives. But the reality is that people suffer around the world in so many different ways every single day. Suffering and death seem to be a natural part of life. Yet, no matter how we slice it, this isn't an easy idea to swallow.

Maybe we'll never understand it - at least, maybe not in this life. But what we can do is to hope in God's redeeming grace and to realize that His plan for each of us (in the meantime) is to draw others and ourselves closer to Him.