In life we all will be faced with the sad reality of sudden tragedies. A job loss, a death, a dire health diagnosis, a car accident, a divorce, a relationship loss, financial hardships, a natural disaster, etc. The sudden nature of these circumstances can JOLT our system into immediate stress, anxiety, panic, and heartache. After all we are only human!

Three years ago today, I was faced with one of the sudden events. My beloved dog of 7 years old, the symbol of my new life in Christ, was diagnosed with incurable lymphoma. Leo was his name and was all that I had in this new life. My heart and mind raced with questions such as trying to find him the help and possible cure he needed as well as the dreadful question of how life is going to be like without him.

You see, since he was just 7 years old, thoughts of losing him did not enter my mind up until that dreadful day. The sudden nature sprung all sorts of emotions. But I didn’t question God’s will in this. However I asked Him “why?”, “why now?”. Having understood Scripture, I knew I deserved nothing from God, but it was OK to ask why and then to just trust in Him.

No, you aren’t going to receive a letter or email or text from God explaining “why”, but through His word He will help you understand. And in my case, all I needed to do is view Jesus, God’s only begotten Son. Tradition says He was crucified when He was around 33 years old, quite young. So that answered my “why Leo, he is so young” question.

And then all I needed to do is reflect on Job and the test of his faith. Job suddenly lost EVERYTHING including his health, yet he never condemned God for this. Like myself, he and his friends questioned God as to “why”, and God responded with that He was sovereign, explaining to Job the sheer VASTNESS of His omniscience and omnipotence, this answers the question of “why”. God will do what He pleases and just because we don’t understand everything does not mean His purposes are IMPERFECT.

So when you look to sudden tragedies in your life, just contemplate for a few seconds on the most sudden tragedy in all of history of which God Himself endured. And that was the death of Jesus Christ for sinners who were born with absolute hatred for Him. We can’t know the sheer sadness, based on God’s holiness, but take all the sudden tragedies since the world began into just one event, and this is what God went through.

God realizes and completely understands what you are going through! So instead of running away from Him, run towards Him, stay close to Him during these times and you will sooner or later realize He is right there with you! Don’t turn to other people, or try to figure out things on your own, turn to Him!

In my case, I had to look back and SEE the wondrous things God was doing to comfort me. Leo would be taken from me, but He showed me for example WHO my friends truly were, who actually cared about Leo, and some I didn’t realize until this event. A very nice acquaintance and friend of Leo and myself, Chloe, for example sent me a hand drawn picture of Leo and encouraged me to be there for him. Derek, a long time friend and client called me on his birthday to offer a room in his house where Leo and I could stay through his treatments. Dana Perino, a former U.S. Press Secretary and now a National news correspondent messaged me to encourage me. My Mom who had just gone through a tragedy of her own, offered two blankets to Leo to comfort him. A cousin who I did not see for a long time sent me $15. The very first Christian, Joni, whom I met online stepped up with the first big contribution towards our trip and she had not even met Leo. Many others also contributed, clients such as Charity and Jeremy who knew Leo also supported us. Whether big or small, God SENT THEM!

There is always a PURPOSE from God, these sudden events are not news to Him. But we need to look to Him, to His word, to grasp what that purpose is and was. And then THANK Him for seeing us through them, that He alone sustained us! He is GOOD! Always see Him first and foremost, and although the sudden event is a SHOCK to your system, it is God who manages that event!