The Question So Many People Ask.....Why?

First off, my apologies go out for not updating this blog in two weeks. Yes, that is the definition of a slacker so I apologize for that.

The past two weeks have consisted of some needed beach time with the family, busy days at work, and enjoying what God is teaching me this summer.

Last Tuesday, my family and I headed to Hilton Head Island to spend some time in the sun and sand. It was unreal to enjoy God's creation and kick back and relax with the family. Let's just say I did not go hungry either. Seafood turns out is my weakness to say the least.

At Children's, everything is in full force with the summer beginning to wind down and the dreaded days of school upon us. These past few weeks have quickly flown by preparing for WSB's Care-a-thon on Thursday and Friday. I cannot wait to hear the stories of people helping out the Aflac Blood Disorders and Cancer Center this week. So many lives have been saved from this incredible place, and the money raised goes a long way to help children now and in the future.

Also, this Thursday is the Cobb County Family Fun Day. I have had the opportunity to work with this event from the beginning and am looking forward to meeting all the children who have been through some tough times but have never given up. This is a day they get to show off how much they have learned through the rehabilitiation they have been given at Children's.

It is tough to believe I am entering the final three weeks of my internship. I never realized how much I would truly learn during my time spent at Children's this summer. It is time to finish strong.

The past two weeks the Lord has been teaching me some things through tragedy.

Life is but an instant. We are never guaranteed another day. This past week seeing the tragedy in Colorado reiterated that.

The Bible says it clearly that we are "nothing more than mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

I had a person ask me one question that seemed to be on everyone's mind Friday morning when they heard the news. Why?

Why would anyone do such a horrible thing to so many innocent people?

I was reading story after story about the details that continued to unfold, but one story stuck in my head above the rest.

A mother of two girls took her children to see the midnight premiere of the "Dark Knight Rises" and little did she know what she was in store for. When the shooting began, she laid on top of her daughters trying to guard them from the shooter. She and her daughters were able to escape, and her response to the situation is something I will never forget.

She was asked the question, "Do you still believe in a merciful God?"

She answered, "Yes."

She went on to say, "Why would you think such a tragedy would make me question the goodness of God. If anything, both of my girls said it made Him a much more real presence to them....He is not the cause of evil, but He is the one who can bring comfort and peace in the midst of evil...Overall, we are praising God and resting in His goodness."

God is always good just like this woman explains. Unfortunately, man is not. It could have been easy for this woman to say this is God's fault, but she is continuing to praise Him. You see God brings beauty from ashes and shows his goodness even in the most difficult circumstances.

There was one evil act, but the acts of kindness afterwards illustrate the goodness and love Christ showers us with everyday.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims in Colorado. I pray that even in this difficult time that the Lord can be used in miraculous ways to heal and comfort these families.

Psalms 56:3-4 says "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"