********** Happens

Someone I knew years ago, who had a fairly vulgar way of talking once saw something really bad happen and then said to me "that proves **** happens". I responded quickly and said, "no, actually Providence happens". At first he had no idea what I was referring to by saying that. I explained that bad stuff does not just happen. God is not passively sitting up in Heaven just watching us from afar. Yes, He is transcendent and far above us, be He also is present with us through the Holy Ghost. This means that He is working in our midst and if something bad happens then He either brought it about (cf. Amos 3:6) or He willingly allowed it to happen (because He knows what is good for us even though we usually do not).

It may be hard to understand, but God's power is so great and His holiness is so far above what we can understand that He is able to bring about those "bad things" that we suffer from and do so in a good and holy way (just to be clear: I am not saying God wills evil, or that He causes sin). Do we really think that God is stunned by the bad stuff? Do we really believe that He does not have a hand in those challenges or coincidences that occur? A heretic once said to me, "God doesn't have time to be involved in everyone's life". No; that is a pitiful view of a mere superhero, but not God. He has time to be involved in every single facet of creation.

Therefore, I like to say "Providence happens". It would even make a good statement to put on a t-shirt because it would testify that we have hope and confidence in the work of our Almighty Creator. No one, however, should wear it unless he really does believe it. It may offend the pagans and heathens if we tell them God has His hand in everything, but it will also give them an opportunity to hear that God is not merely a grumpy lawgiver with a desire to stop fun from happening. It is precisely the hope that we have in our hearts, after all, that can show the world Who it is that we worship.