Hezekiah 15:12

“Everything happens for a reason.”

Also translated as, “God has a purpose for everything.”

A lovely verse. And you know where this one is found in the Bible? It’s also a Hezekiah verse. Which means . . .

IT AIN’T IN THERE!

Do things happen for a reason? Yes! Cars wreck because people are irresponsible. People die of overdoses because they get addicted to drugs. Tornadoes and floods and earthquakes hit because Planet Earth gets busy. People commit suicide because they lose hope. And the elderly die because their bodies eventually wear out in this world. And cancer happens because . . . I don’t know . . . they’re still working on that one.

But is God sitting behind the scenes, pulling divine strings to manipulate us and play us like some earthly board game with celestial purposes and heavenly rules? Is God putting his omniscient hand over ours to change the outcome of our actions to play out his own cosmic script for our lives and the world around us?

This may surprise some of you, but no, he’s not.

Just a few days ago, I wrote about the truth that life happens and sometimes it really is more than we can handle. By that same token, it doesn’t always happen for some greater purpose. Sometimes, it’s just a big ol’ mess and there’s nothing good to be said for it.

Until we put it in God’s hands.

That’s the key. For in God’s hands, our lives, our circumstances, and our messes are redeemed. God doesn’t put us into the mess of our lives, but he is able to redeem, restore, renew, and refresh everything that we put into his hands.

Three and a half years ago, I had a meeting with an amazing new friend about an exciting book project. We met in downtown Nashville to talk about a beautiful devotional book and the responsibilities I would be accepting in editing the work of three writers and adding my own writing wherever it was needed. The project would last about six months and would pay well. The meeting ran through lunch and a couple of hours. When we were done I returned to my car, elated at the prospect of what lay ahead.

When I got into my car I discovered a message on my phone from my husband, Dan. He had gone to his doctor to have a bump in his neck checked. “Lynn,” he said, “Dr. Allen says I either have lymphoma or leukemia. They’ve checked me into Centennial Hospital. Come meet me here.”

I sat in the car for a minute and thought I was going to vomit. But I knew I didn’t have time to be sick . . . I needed to get to the hospital. (That’s the only reason I didn’t throw up; I didn’t have time. I get really practical in these situations.)

Dan was admitted and would just be resting overnight, preparing for tests to begin the next day. I went home and picked up some things for us to settle in to the hospital room for a few days.

And by the way, following a stressful conversation, our 15-year-old son had come out to me the night before. As he’d entered adolescence he and I had discussed sexuality, but this was the first time he’d let me know for certain that he was gay. I’d had absolutely no problem accepting his homosexuality, but foreseeing the challenges he would face with some friends and some people in the church brought incredible anxiety and multiplied my maternal protective instincts. (If you’ve been the parent of an LGBT teen, you understand what I’m talking about.)

When I got home to pack bags for me and Dan that evening, I had to go into our room and throw all of the circumstances and my anxiety down before God’s feet. I couldn’t handle this. I couldn’t for one minute imagine that, just at the moment I was having a professional break-through, God would see fit to bring the dreaded “C” into our lives. And all of the support I needed to provide for my son . . . just as he was going to have to go stay with his grandparents? How was I . . . how would my whole family survive the next six months? Year? Two years? This was too much!

But God redeemed. God restored. Everything. Dan is alive and well and strong. Even if he had gone on to heaven to be with Jesus, we would have known that God was in control. (Dan was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma and had to have a bone marrow transplant. And he almost did slip on over to the other side a couple of times . . . but God let him stay here with us and we thank God for that blessing!)

Our son is now an 18-year-old Christian man in his freshman year of college. He is gay and proud and we could NOT be prouder of him! He received a 36 on his ACT and his deepest desire is to serve his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And, by the way, the book was published! (God of Wonder, Worthy Publishers, 2012, available at www.amazon.com) My editor was patient with me and we got it done . . . beautifully!

God has shown us how kind he is by coming to save all people. He taught us to give up our wicked ways and our worldly desires and to live decent and honest lives in this world. We are filled with hope, as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right. (Titus 2:11-14)

Does God have a purpose for everything?

Yes . . . to draw us closer to him and to bring glory to himself through everything in our lives.

Put it all in his hands.