“How is this part of God’s plan?”

Have you ever asked yourself or someone else; “How is this part of God’s plan?” after tragedy in your life? I know I have, I questions God’s plans for me all the time, probably at least daily. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” But if this is true as all of God’s word is then why do we experience disaster?

Tonight I watched one of my favorite movies; Soul Surfer, based on the true life story of pro surfer Bethany Hamilton. If you haven’t seen it, watch it immediately after reading this blog. Every time I watch it I learn something new about Bethany, life, and God’s plan for us.

On this special occasion God used Bethany and this movie to help three people in recovery and myself to see that we can overcome adversity if we believe and persevere. I also found the answer to the question “How is this part of God’s plan?”

Being of the human species we are selfish, self-absorbed, and have a desire to want the best for ourselves. We do not want to experience disaster, tragedy, pain, hurt, heartache, or any form of lowness. When we ask the question it is because we are looking for a selfish answer, why would a loving God do this to me? The real answer is, it is not about you, it’s about Him. God uses tragedy to bring us closer to Him but also to bring us closer to each other. When Bethany lost her arm she asked WHY? How is this part of His plan? The answer came when she stopped focusing on herself and focused on the young boy in Thailand. Bethany’s loss was not part of God’s plan for her; it was part of His plan for others. The boy on the mission trip, the hundreds of people she encouraged by trying despite failure in the region surf championships, and her family.

So often we think when something bad happens it didn’t come from God because of his promise in Jeremiah, but all things even the trials can bring Him Glory. While I love the Jeremiah verse I enjoy so much more James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

So instead of asking why, or how is this part of a loving God’s plan, I challenge you to ask yourself how can I use this to bring Him glory and help others. If Jesus taught us anything, it is that love is not selfish. The most horrific tragedy in humankind was to kill our Savior on the Cross, and while even Jesus asked His Daddy; Why? (Matthew 27:46), the answer was right there…. “It’s not for you, it’s for them”