Saturday 13 February 2010

Tragedy - wheres God in this? RIP Lee

Yesterday a very dramatic incident happened at my church and the place that I work which resulted in the death of one of our members who was also a volunteer.

I cant pretend I was very close to Lee, nor can I pretend that he was a big part of my life, but he was a member of my church family, and more than that he was an inspirational one, and his death has led to many asking the question where is God in this?

As I lay here in bed (yes its 9:30am Im lazy) I just cant stop thinking about this question. and this blog is my attempt to get an answer which makes sense to me.

For those who didnt know Lee his story is almost as dramatic as his death. He had turned his life around from one of addictions to one of God. Only in the last two weeks was he stodd up in church saying how much God had transformed his life, broken his addictions, given his life meaning, and how he was so happy for the first time in years. God was definitly in his life, so why now?

Clearly there is no answer to this, Ive used the phrase "we just have to believe" a lot since yesterday afternoon. For some this is enough, for others it sounds like im trying to convince myself and to be honest its a bit in the middle.

I know Lee knew God and I know that hes up in heaven now with a big smile on his face partying it with the angels and the big man himself, probably waving a few flags, dancing a few jigs and generally worship God in a way we he left behind can only dream of.

but the timing and the way he died just seems wrong. He had so much potential, God was using his transformation to help transform others, he had people who loved him, he was a member of a family, why now?

Again i dont know if it was Gods timing or whether he was robbed from us but I do know God will use his passing in a way that ensures his life wasnt wasted.

This sad day has the potential to change a lot of peoples lives and anyone reading this I urge to pray, not just for Lees family buty also for the family of ToP as they grieve, for those who were witnessess and are dealing with the aftermath as they investigate and find a way to move foward, for all the staff at LL many of whom heard the incident and whom still have that sound going through their heads, finally please pray for the future - this kind of incident get investigated and investigations (even when they dont find anything wrong oher than a tragic accident, which will be in this case) change things and so please pray that God uses this as a springboard to the future rather than something that holds his plans back.

As i said at the start I wasnt best mates, I spoke to him regulary but thats about it but his death is like a death in the family. But i have to believe God will do something good out of this situation. I have to stop trying to understand and just accept that some things I will never understand. and finally I have to see how much of his potential he had already got - the bible calls us to become Gods ambassedors and ine the last few weeks he was probably more christlike than most. Hes with God now, and God will use his death the way he used his life.

please pray.

thanks.