Why, God?

Why, God, do you allow bad things to happen? Why do you allow us to hurt and grieve?

I have asked God that question a few times over the past few months and tonight. I heard from a sorority sister that another one of our sorority sisters, Whitney, lost her baby at 36 weeks. She went to the doctor and there wasn't a heartbeat. She delivered stillborn today. A flood of emotions came back to me...I re-experienced the words from the doctor "I have some bad news", re-lived the whole delivery process and leaving the hospital. I know exactly how she feels and how she will feel in the days and months ahead of her. I know what it is like to leave the hospital without a baby in your arms. It breaks my heart for her and her family. It almost feels like it took me a step back in my grieving.

It led me back to the question: "Why, God? Why!?"

I can honestly say, that in every case of bad experiences or trials, there are different reasons God allows us to experience what we do. God does not allow us to suffer without a reason. It may be hidden from us until His divine purpose is revealed.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55: 8-9

We must take comfort in the fact that God is a God of love and only does what is right. Look at Job. He suffered greatly - he lost all worldly possessions, his entire family and was struck with a very painful disease. Through all of his suffering, Job experienced God like he had never experienced God before. His life was changed because He experienced firsthand the power and majesty of our Creator, as well as God's deep love for him. One thing Job learned through his experience is to pray for those who are suffering.

A few verses that have helped me answer the questions:

But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish woman speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity? In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10

Praise be to 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: 3-5

I firmly believe that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. HIS purpose, not mine.

I don't know what good is coming or will be coming out of the death of my twin boys or in the death of Whitney's baby...I do know God knows what we feel. He lost His only Son so that we may have eternal life with Him in heaven. Maybe my boys are in heaven so that I may help comfort Whitney or others who experience what we did, or maybe so that my faith in Christ grows deeper (which it has) or maybe so that more people may come to know Christ through the boys or that their relationship with Christ grows deeper....I don't know, I may never know and I am ok with not knowing. Because God is good and I trust Him to know how to run my life better than me. :)