GOD DON'T BULLY US

      In the novel, Cold Sassy Tree, 14 year-old Will and his grandpa talk about life and prayer. One day, Will nearly gets killed by a train because he is playing on a railroad trestle. "Grandpa," he asks, "You think I'm still alive cause it was God's will?" "Naw," grandpa replies, "You livin' cause you had the good sense to fall down twixt them tracks." Will wasn't to be dissuaded. "Maybe God gave me the idea,"he said. But grandpa was also firm. "You can believe that son, if you believe that it was God's idea for you to play up on that there trestle in the first place. What God gave you was a brain. It is will for you to use it, particularly when a train's comin'. Do you think it was God's will for Bluford Jackson to get lockjaw and die?" Grandpa spoke kindly, "The Lord don't make firecrackers son. It's just too bad poor Blu didn't be more careful." Will was perplexed, and asked, "You don't think God wills any of the things that happen to us? "Maybe. Maybe not," grandpa replied. Will said, "Mama and papa think he does." Grandpa licked the meringue off of his fork and offered a bit of wisdom. "Life bullies us son, but God don't," he concluded.
      Well, it's an interesting discussion. Years ago a young professional was killed by lightning in Joliet, IL. He was a member of our church and I rushed to his grieving wife's side. Wanting to lift some of her burden, I said, "God doesn't cause these things to happen. They just happen, but God is there for us when they do happen... and He will give you a soft place to fall and wipe your tears." In my mind, it was a comforting comment about a God who suffers with us, but the young widow saw it differently. "I think you're wrong," she replied, "I don't believe things just happen. I believe that God makes things happen, but most often for reasons that we can't understand." Wow, I thought, she would rather believe that God was behind her husband's death... than struggle with the fact that bad things just happen to good people! She was a better Presbyterian than I was, and probably still is.
      As for me, I don't know. Who knows? God can do anything, I know that, but I also know that "stuff" happens. And I also know this: God don't bully us! Grandpa was right about that. Life does. Kids do, and bosses do... but God (I think) is an Inviter. He comes to our door and knocks. He give us "holy coincidences" to guide us. He sets angels in our midst, and he offers us both salvation and freedom. Salvation for our sin and freedom from our obsession with self. I also believe that God really, really listens to our prayer and loves it when we dialogue with him. This doesn't mean that his answer to our prayers will always, or even regularly be "yes," anymore than our parents said "yes," to everything we asked of them. Sometimes he says "no;" sometimes, "not yet." He might even say, "We'll see." These things will become clear to me in time, but for now I'm comfortable believing that God doesn't bully me. What do you think?