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From: ptl@fluke.UUCP (Mike Andrews)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Maryknoll called - please keep your prayers going
Message-ID: <1404@vax3.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Jun-85 12:16:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: vax3.1404
Posted: Mon Jun  3 12:16:38 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Jun-85 01:11:54 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Lines: 53


Hi,

Last week I asked for prayers for my cousin who is a Roman Catholic
priest in the Maryknoll missionary order, because he is stationed in
Bangladesh, in the area where the tidal wave hit, and we haven't heard
from him yet.  We still haven't heard from him, but we did hear from
Maryknoll.  Another Maryknoll priest reported that he saw Bob take a
flight that was some 100 to 300 miles (didn't get the story straight) from
the tidal wave when it hit.  So they think he is safe.  Please keep him in
your prayers, and all the others working to help the poor in this world.

The recent loss of my friend Larry to cancer, the fear of having lost Bob,
the thousands of deaths in Bangladesh, the many thousands dieing in
Africa, the savage tornadoes that hit the US and Canada last Friday, all
these things have made me question the existence of a loving God.  How
could a loving God allow all these things, terrible things to go on?
This has bothered me deeply for the last few weeks.  I've been angry with
God, questioned His existence, let alone His love, cursed up one side and
down the other, let my prayer life slide, and reading the Bible go down
hill.  What He's shown me is that I'm no better than anyone else, that
my holiness is not dependent on my personal goodness, on how hard I pray,
or how good I act, but on His Goodness that He gifts me with.  Nothing else.

He's also shown me that the world is a hard, difficult, sin filled, hurting
place, filled with hurting people, and we ALL need His love, forgiveness,
and undeserved mercy.  Everyone is hurting in some way(s), everyone is
handicapped in someway(s) - just can't see it with the human eye all the
time.  God's wisdom goes beyond anything I could come up with.  His idea of
what's best and mine often don't agree.  I'm still angry with Him, but I find
I'm slowing letting go, and letting God run my life the way He knows best.
It's a real live battle, please pray for me, and yourselves.

Funny - so often I've heard `If God exists, why did he allow ... to
happen.'  I asked the same question many times in the last few weeks;
I'll probably ask it a few more times before I die.  I'm wondering now
how anyone could believe that satan doesn't exist with all the hurt,
pain, sin and ugliness in the world.  But why give him any glory - I'd
rather look at the beauty in the world, the people who help others in their
hurt, while they themselves have hurts and pains.  Praise God.

God Bless,

Mike Andrews
-- 

     ***  Ezekiel 37:1-14  ***         ***   Ephesians 5:8-21  ***
                    *** Job 3:25 and Mark 5:36 ***


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