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When Tragedy Strikes, Hearts Are Broken


               We have heard two heart breaking stories out of Orlando, Florida in the past week. One involves the senseless deaths over 4 dozen individuals and wounding of dozens more. The second involves the loss of a child to an alligator right in front of the parents.  I’m not sure how as a pastor and counselor I could help anyone make sense of either of these events.  

               I learned a long time ago that I’m not the sovereign God of the universe, I’m not all-knowing, nor do I have the understanding of why he allows such horrors to happen.  I believe scripture gives a clue when it talks about the fall of man, and how that we have stepped into a sinful world from birth.  When we think of those parents that have suffered such loss both in the shooting in Orlando, or the parent of that small child, my mind thinks of Adam & Eve in the garden what was the realization for them like the day they learned that Cain killed his brother Abel with a rock. Remember prior to this no individual had died.

               Sadly, death is going to happen!  Doesn’t matter the age, race, religion, or even sexual orientation every individual is going to pass into the next life.  The question is are we ready?  Christians, Muslim, Atheists, and people with any other religious choice are eventually going to die. As a believer in the Bible and as a Christian I believe we will stand before a loving and just God. However, I also believe that based on scripture that we will stand before a God that set certain standards; the most important is a belief in his Son Jesus Christ as our personal savior.

               For those of us that have walked through or are currently going through the loss of a loved one maybe for you it is a family member, friend, or co-worker it is imperative that we work through the Grief Process. We cannot stay stuck in the Denial, Anger, Depression, or Bargaining we must each move on to Acceptance.  Acceptance is not the forgetting of what happened, and assuredly it is not that we forget the individual, it is embracing the reality of the loss, and moving forward to accomplish the goals that are before us living out the remainder of our life, bring honor to theirs.
If you are currently going through the grief process or struggling with a loss … We would like to direct you to my workbook entitled:

Christians Coping with Grief, A Workbook for Finding God's Truth in a Time of Sorrow!

Which can be download free @ http://www.lulu.com/shop/rev-don-allen-jr/christians-coping-with-grief/ebook/product-1792838.html

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