“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” —2 Corinthians 1:3–6

I was raised in a Christian home with two loving parents, one younger sister, and one younger brother. I was baptized, went to Sunday school and was confirmed at Dell Rapids Lutheran Church. In 1980, I joined First Lutheran Church and taught Sunday school. Yes, I knew God, but did I have a relationship with him? Do you have a relationship with him?

When I was 38 years old, I became really angry at God. Maybe you too have been angry at the Lord because of the death of a loved one, illness, divorce, loss of a job or some other reason. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? I was so mad I stopped going to church, stopped listening to anything religious on TV or on the radio. My husband made me go to church one Sunday, and the first song was “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I started to cry and left because I felt that Jesus was no longer my friend. The longer I was mad at God, the more depressed I became. The days became unbearable. I hated the day I was born, just like Job.

Thank goodness for my husband and parents and also for other Christians like my aunt and cousin. They were all praying for me and helped lead me back to the Lord. I discovered that God is not the author of bad things but actually the opposite. Everything God has created and does is for our good. We need to reflect on Jeremiah 29:11–12, which states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me.” God might allow the bad things so we can have a closer relationship with him. Satan is always trying to win us away from our Lord. The Lord wants us to make up our own mind to love him. And that is what I did. I needed Jesus, so I asked him to come back into my life. Right away I started feeling better about myself and looked forward to the future.

Dear Father in Heaven, creator of all things, comforter of those who mourn, help us to comfort those around us who are hurting, who are grieving. Be with us as we mourn our sorrows and trials. Send us your Holy Spirit to heal our broken hearts and minds and make us whole again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Debra and Daryl Crawford