When it Goes ALL Wrong

By: L.A. Doyle

The Word reminds us...’ALL things work together for good to them that love God, who are called according to His purpose’.  Romans 8:28.  He also tells us what Satan intends for evil, He will turn to good.  Do you consider these verses as promises?

When times are difficult do you really hold fast to the truth that God has a grand plan regardless of how it may appear at the moment?  After all you may ask yourself, does God even understand human emotion, especially when a terrible injustice has occurred and all you are left with are questions, burning anger, despair and at times hopelessness?  Thankfully God does get you and even during the darkest moments He offers unmeasurable grace through these very promises.  God pulls back the circumstance to a wide angle view when you only have a microscope focused on the smallest of details.  God does produce goodness even in  the worst of circumstances.  

A case in point - This past May, police officers, their families, friends and the public were horrified by the senseless death of Garrett Styles, of the York Regional Police Service.  Constable Styles had a minivan pulled over in a routine traffic stop, panicked, the 15 year old driver accelerated suddenly dragging the officer 300 meters before the van weaved out of control, rolling on top of P.C. Styles. While pinned and laying in a ditch mortally wounded, 32yr. Garrett Styles, father of 2 young children used his last breaths to request immediate assistance not just once but three times... not for himself but instead for the boys in the van who were also seriously hurt.  Under extraordinary distress, P.C. Styles demonstrated extreme compassion and selflessness, a true hero!  He personified what we would all aspire to become.

During this very same dark period, sentencing came down for yet another officer’s senseless murder. While arresting a suspect Detective Constable Rob Plunkett was dragged backwards by the suspect’s vehicle pinning the officer against a tree.  The country was dumbfounded by the insignificant reduced sentence received by the accused.  This while several weeks prior a third officer, Toronto Police Services, Sgt. Ryan Russell tragically succumbed to his injuries while attempting to stop a stolen snow plow also leaving a young wife and child behind. The police community was barely on its feet as only 9 months earlier Vu Pham, on OPP officer was killed in a random shootout also leaving a young wife and 3 children.

These events created a devastating loss to each of these families, as well as every one who knew these brave men will be forever robbed of lasting friendships and policing excellence.  The common factor between each of these incidents was twofold, first was the class and dignity demonstrated foremost by the widows and families at the time of their greatest loss, followed by the seamless unity of police, fire, ems and 911 dispatchers.  Each funeral connected thousands  in dress uniform marching in precision through city streets clearly emphasizing when one falls we all feel it profoundly.  For the grace of God it could be anyone one of us, either by a suspect, accident, alcohol, fire scene carcinogens or suicide.  Somehow at that moment we each realize the intensity of our professions, the fragility of life and the importance of truly living during the unspecified time we are each given.

God’s antidote to suffering is to trust His grand design. This faith will not replace the lives lost but these men certainly did not die in vain.  As humans we cannot speculate on how God will turn such loss into something He considers good. However, these three individual officers fatally injured, alone in the middle of the night demonstrated to an entire nation the raw sacrifice made unquestioningly, as this is an emergency responder’s call of duty.  Perhaps to some degree light was cast on the emotional toll of these professions.  Plunkett, Pham, Russell, Styles, names and faces on the nightly news to some, buddies, husbands, sons and father to others. These names beckon we broaden our scope of reflection past the obvious tactical take down procedures and rantings of the criminal justice shortcomings to perhaps consider the state of our own personal belief system. How do we attempt to reconcile the chaos we are a part of shift after shift? What would it look life  to see Him as a trustworthy God even in the face of mind bending adversity? Do we allow God to complete the task within the bigger picture even when we can’t make sense of it?  Each of us have our own questions about God and how we are to include Him at work but the most serious question is what does it look like when we don’t include Him at work both for ourselves and others???

All things work together for good for those who love Him.  Lets look for His plan in our lives, when we see it, share the good news.  Point out there is a purpose to all that chaos, there is hope!