RIGHTEOUS FAMILY #1The parents are active in the local ward. They have three children. They never miss church and the parents go to the temple regularly. The mom has a serious disease that will require immediate surgery if she is ever to get out of her wheelchair. The insurance company won’t pay for the surgery. This year is a turning point for the family finances and farm.
If they have a successful crop of grain they can pay for the farm mortgage and for mom’s surgery.
Righteous Family #1 has been PRAYING FOR one more rain storm to water their acres of dry land grain. Without the rain the crops would surely fail.
Their neighbors…
RIGHTEOUS FAMILY #2
The parents are active in the local ward. They have three children. They never miss church and the parents go to the temple regularly. The mom has a serious disease that will require immediate surgery if she is ever to get out of her wheelchair. The insurance company won’t pay for the surgery. This year is a turning point for the family finances and farm.
If they have a successful crop of tomatoes they can pay for the farm mortgage and for mom’s surgery.
The family has been PRAYING FOR NO more rain. One more rainstorm would surely worsen the fungal infection and ruin their acres of tomatoes.
… Righteous Family #1- Please make it rain.
… Righteous Family #2- Please do not let it rain.
WHAT’S A GOD TO DO?
It rained.
Righteous Family #1 paid off the mortgage on the farm and mom had the surgery and was now out of the wheelchair. They told themselves and others “See God hears and answers our prayers. We are blessed.”
Righteous Family #2 had the farm and home foreclosed on by the bank. They now were renting the family farm from the bank. Mom was still in the wheelchair.
Was Righteous Family #2 blessed? Did God forget about their prayers and faith?
Similar examples of “Bad” things happening to “Good” people go on and on…
Righteous Mother #1 was in the Intensive care unit Room 3010 lived after her heart surgery. Righteous Mother #2 next door in Room 3011 died. Each family had prayed with faith, placed names in the temple, had priesthood blessing prior to surgery, etc etc.
Which mother was blessed?
There are two young Righteous Fathers #1 and #2. Each graduates from prestigious East Coast Universities. Each served full time missions. Each married in the temple. Each have a couple of kids. Each active in church etc etc Each young father has a very bright career path.
Righteous Father #1 gets in shape and considers running an upcoming triathlon.
Which father was blessed?
Typically we view – when we get what we want – the apparent good outcome – we are blessed. When prayers are not immediately answered we think – they had insufficient faith and/or were just not righteous enough.
“We may wonder why there are such times in life, particularly when we may be trying harder than we have ever tried to live worthy of God’s blessings and obtain His help. When problems or sorrows or sadness come and they don’t seem to be our fault, what are we to make of their unwelcome appearance?” (Jeffrey R. Holland, The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom, October Converse 1996)
CHALLENGE
Do YOU need to develop faith in a God that allows …
…everything to go wrong?
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