What is Going On?

I have memories of good times – times when goodness seemed to be a given; when safety could be felt; when innocence was a part of growing up; and when Biblical values were not foreign.

Today we take into stride what in the recent past would not have been in even our worst nightmares.

To have Parkinson's Disease is to experience this same type of thing. We have memories of life without the disease; when we were not threatened with this dreadfull malady; when we didn't entertain the slightest fear that it would ever descend upon us; when we seemed to have control of where we went and how we got there; and when our ideas of who God really is were not challenged.

But with the reality of this disease in our bodies come questions for which we seem to have no answers. Life doesn't make sense to us in light of our old convictions. As our strength is drained from our bodies, our spirit and soul are forced to develop and grow stronger as we are faced with difficult questions like, “How can a good God allow the evils we now deal with in this world?” “Why do the innocent suffer unjustly?” “Who IS the God of the Bible and is He all powerful?” “Does He care that we suffer?” “Is there hope of restoration?”

The world faces these same questions with us (for different reasons). We are frightened and at a loss to explain the things going on around us and getting nearer. Last week a meteor entered earth's atmosphere and exploded over Russia, leaving 1,200 people injured and buildings damaged. The Northeast portion of the US was devastated by the hurricane of the century – Hurricane Sandy (even though hurricane season had ended and given the fact that hurricanes usually do not hit that far north). Then only months later, that same area was hit with blizzards leaving record snowfalls of 3-4 feet paralyzing transportation, contributing to more power outages, and making it impossible to get to work. Already soaring gas prices and rising food prices come into play.

We were horrified at senseless shootings like that of Gabrielle Giffords and the school children in Connecticut. People are still rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and the huge earthquake in Haiti. What is going On???

There is no denying that SOMETHING is at work here. Whatever answers you may be coming up with, that much is evident.

I do believe that God is all powerful and that He DOES care that we are suffering. Why is the world in such a state and getting worse then? Why does the disease of the world progress just as our Parkinson's Disease progresses?

Could it be that there is more at stake than what we can see? Could it be that we have lost our way and these are warning signs? Is this disease reversible or can we halt it's forward march?

I encourage you all to ask these questions and seek the answers. We still have time, but maybe not much.

I won't give you the answers I have found. You must ask and seek for yourself. But I will say this: I think we are running out of time so don't waste it on what is not important. Ask God, “What is going on?”, then read His Word and search for clues to the deeper meaning. Don't wait. Ask now.