Trusting in God - even when we don't understand

This coming Sunday morning I am continuing my series on, "What bothers me most about Christianity."

One of the things that bothers me is that there is evil and suffering in the world. Why do people (especially "good" people) walk through difficult times?

Why is there evil in the world?

Why doesn't God do something about it?

Great questions. No easy answers. In fact, beware of people who give easy answers to these questions.

Here's one of the things I like about God. He invites our questions. He is not threatened when we wrestle with the issues of life. He has his "big boy" pants on. God's "self-image" is not going to suffer when we wonder, "what in the world are you doing, Lord"?

On many occasions, I have stood at the bedside of someone and prayed, "Father, we don't know why this is happening, but I do know you dear Lord, and I know that you can be trusted."

Why did an earthquake come and ravage Haiti, a country that is already steeped in poverty and misery?

I don't know.

But here's a great story that puts the whole thing in perspective.

I quote:

"The massive earthquake that rocked the nation of Haiti in January of 2010 brought with it an unfathomable amount of devastation, pain, and death. But as is often the case in times of extreme trial, there were also remarkable stories of bravery and heroism unearthed from the rubble in the days that followed.

Dan Woolley is one of those stories.

A film producer, Woolley was in Haiti working on a documentary about the country's starving children when the earthquake struck. He was inside the Hotel Montana when the shaking started, and the building collapsed before he could reach the street. When it was over, he found himself in the hotel basement among tons of fallen debris. Woolley was trapped with only the clothes on his back and an iPhone in his pocket.

Fortunately, though, his iPhone had a medical application that came in pretty handy. Using the light from the phone and the instructions from the app, Woolley was able to correctly diagnose a broken foot and use strips of clothing to bandage severe gashes he had suffered on his legs and the back of his head. Then he used the camera feature on the phone to get a map of his surroundings and plan a route to an elevator shaft that was protected from falling debris. More than 65 hours after the earthquake, Woolley was rescued by emergency personnel.

But it wasn't Woolley's quick thinking or handy gadgets that make his story remarkable. He earns that distinction because of the decisions he made on behalf of his wife and children during those 65 hours.

Dan Woolley is a Christian, and he told reporters after his rescue that he genuinely thought he was going to die in the hotel basement. So he wrote a note to his wife and children reminding them to trust God even in the middle of horrible situations.

"I was in a big accident," the note said. "Don't be upset at God. He always provides for his children, even in hard times. I'm still praying that God will get me out …. He may not, but He will always take care of ya."

May be all have that kind of faith and trust in God - even when we don't understand.