Chook Me!

Christians...I usually have to stay away from the unthinkable...but how have you reconciled?

a hope in the mercy of God and humanity when these kind of things do happen? I watched the move "changeling"( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/ ) based on the true story of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wineville_Chicken_Coop_Murders ). As a mother I can't imagine( it is beyond my comprehension) to think my child....let a lone any child...could bare to suffer through such things. I can understand to some degree how disturbed persons can get to a point of "past feeling" and become subject to do unspeakable things....but where I have a hard time is IF the innocent are left to suffer such a degree of horror. About four years ago....there was a year where I could not escape the burden of sorrow and the heart felt pain for all those that go through horrible sufferings. The images always flashing in my head with a run of emotions I can't describe. Well...In order to regain any kind of inner peace in my life.. I had to stop reading, watching, and talking about such news when those kind of events would go public. I know LOVE conquers all. Doing what we can about what is unjust or inhumane is a sure way to access a greater peace of mind and happiness. I also hope in the atonement of Christ for many reasons. When I was burdened by such things I was meditating and sincerely asking God to give me some sort of understanding to such horrific suffering. What opened up in my mind is a very comforting thought. According to the love of God and through the atonement of Christ...all suffering is picked up by Christ when a person's ability to cope has reached a point where it would serve no purpose for good or in other words would be unmerciful. The picture I got was that a person's body still goes through the motions from an unthinkable event but the spirit (the person) is pulled out of the situations(body) and spared from the act at hand. That was the impression I got. Is it true or not? Idk...but I hope it is. Does anyone out there have any personal experience on this matter? I know our minds are naturally set to have coping mechanisms in times of great stress...but would it not be grand if what goes on behind the scene of horrific suffering is a hug from LOVE on the other side? I do realize there is a lot of conscious suffering that seem merciless and maybe it is....but what if suffering in all its variety does serve some kind of unknown or unseen purpose for good? I know I have learned a great deal from suffering...I am a more compassionate person then I use to be. I can see the wisdom in suffering...but something like the true story I posted is...so unreal! It is hard to know. Thank you all for your compassionate answers. I really enjoyed reading all you have said.

Public Comments

1. OK, I'm going to get about a billion thumbs down for just mentioning this book, but... have you read "The Shack"? It asks many of the same questions you do. And while I don't agree with everything in it, I think it offers some very valid answers. I will tell you though, as a mother, I know you will find parts of it very hard to read. It is a story (fictional) about a man whose family is coping with the murder of their youngest daughter by a serial killer. Through God's grace he finds the peace to forgive.
2. I really don't know, but there is a vale between the physical world and the spiritual realms for a reason though. In most cases, disassociation of receiving further mental abuse is a part of a mental physiological disassociation from the happenstances. It is likely a natural defense mechanism in other words. God likely created that for a physical person to prevent damage to mentally survive, for both believers and nonbelievers. If the person is a believer, then afterward they could have dialog with Christ on the issue to help balance themselves spiritually. This would depend on the age and weather or not there is a relationship with God in the first place. As for Holy Providence spiritually intervening, (( perhaps yes...)) especially if the victim is young and not able to fully be a person of free will to reject God, or accept him. This is unclear and purely speculative. I can't watch the baby killing stories and sexual abuse stories either, I can't deal with it. DON"T FOCUS TOO MUCH on this and mess your own spiritual balance up. ... Rather, pray and give it over to Holy Providence to deal with if you are sensitive to that stuff. Matthew 11 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." John 14 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Matthew 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
3. Unfortunately free will opens the door to evil. We are totally capable of choosing what is right. God is Love and He is Just. This life is short and eternity is a long long time and God promises that eternity is the perfect place where we do not have sorrow. God will do what He promises and He said in His Word that it would be better for someone who hurt children to be thrown into the sea with heavy weights than for them to face God's wrath. Do not look at these circumstances. Jesus walked the walk here. His life was not easy either. He was innocent and look what people did to Him. Pay attention to His promises and do not get sidetracked by human evil deeds
4. Amazing stories about overcoming pain and the pull of Satan are the true miracles of the Lord. He put those people in those so that they could have the light of Jesus shine trough them and show others how powerful He is. Personally, I used to be in heavy depression. Literally, i saw no point in my life and that there was absolutely no reason for me to be on this Earth, everything was going wrong, and I was just miserable. I had tried to commit suicide, but most of the time i couldn't push myself to do it. One trip to my youth group was all it took. God had broken through the clouds in the smallest hole possible, but I could still see it. I went to my youth group continuously after that, and eventually was saved on August 14 at 12:08 AM. Obviously since I remember the date and time, it was the most wonderful, and perfect experience of my life! I can't help but praise Him everyday now because, I have no doubt that i wouldn't be here. Now I know that I am here to serve him and to show others his love, and pass on what I've gained to everyone else. I don't know exactly what He has planned for my life, but I know that I am going to do something big for Him(: that is how I know His love is real, and I can't deny it. He lives in me, and I'm so thankful that He can love someone as unworthy as me(: With love, God bless!!
5. Amanda, I also go through this and get so deep into uneasiness of thought, when I read about the horrible things which happen and have happened, even in the distant past, that it troubles my peace and mind. Many times I have had to ask God to give me peace about it and to help me stop thinking on it. I also stop reading the news and other things which will put this distress into my mind. I believe that God wants us to live in peace and the joy of the Lord. many times I read such books as Foxe's book of Martyrs, and it gets on my mind so bad that I cannot rest. I just have to fight it off. It tears me up thinking on what others have had to suffer and I just have to leave it alone at times for my own peace of mind. I believe there is some truth to what you say...I once knew a family which had a fire. The young boy who started the fire was burned badly. Later he told that a very nice 'man' came to him as he lay in the grass and cooled him off. He could describe the man and said the man laid him in the grass and that cooled him off. I have myself experienced actually walking right out of my body, but I came back to it. I believe death is just that way, one walks out and does not come back.
6. No high channeling quality. Have a look at Kryon through Lee Carroll or at the older Ramtha shouds. They are much better and will give you peace.
7. Yet some would see these very inhumane and evil acts and still say that there is nothing like satan on the earth, more-so a living God. I know what you are talking about and can relate to having to pull back from contemplating too hard on these kinds of situations and things that go on in this world and age that we live in and raise our kids. As a mother of two, I cannot wrap my mind around the horrors and know what it is like to feel like the magnitude of the evil on the earth would just swallow me up. Yet in the midst of it, even in the middle of having a full blown attack of panic, there is the assurance in the Lord's ability to take care of the ones we have entrusted into His care. That if the Watchman is not watching, then those who watch, do so in vain. If God is not looking out for us sis, then our own watching is in vain. Its His eyes that count. What truly makes me stop in my tracks, is that as Judge of all living creatures, God has to behold these horrific acts. He can't judge what He has not seen. Deep in me I cannot comprehend God having to go through this. Sin and its wages is a fact that He has to deal with on a daily moment by moment basis. We would never know... but He does. He knows that the time for the enemy is drawing to a close and that satan is desperate to do as much damage to man as he possibly can. I really thank the Lord that He is coming soon, that one day, righteousness would reign on this earth. As far as a person's ability to cope with horrific suffering, I cannot say in detail. I do believe though, that the mind that GOd has made man with , has a certain kind of ability to deal with situations and still come out strong. As far as the strongest part of a person who has Christ is concerned, I believe its his spirit which is indwelt by the Lord Himself, who was a Man of suffering and who was acquainted with grief. To think that the worst most vile sinner's crime and sin was placed on this Lamb of God boggles my mind. That when Christ hung on the cross, that God gathered every single vile, ugly, evil sin , from the sinful thought to the sinful act to the very nature of sin itself, and put it on Christ. At that point, the Lord became the most vile sinner to ever be on the earth because of the sin that He became on my behalf and for every last man and woman and child on the earth. Hallelujah for the atoning blood of Christ which washes and cleanses the most vile of men. This kind of Person, who overcame not only sin, but satan, death, the grave, hell and every evil thing on this earth, He dwells in a person who believes into Him. To me, in the midst of immense suffering and hardship, its the spirit indwelt by Christ that is able to pull a person through these experiences. The Lord as the Shepherd One, shepherds our soul in a way we may never understand. I just wanted to say that it is a good idea to stop feeding too much on these things. Sometimes the knowledge of sin can be a sin too... and the enemy is always seeking a way into our minds... even with informative things, we can become captured in a web of anxiety and fear. As women and mothers who are looking to the Lord to raise our children, may we be vigilant in prayer at all times... trusting in what our Lord Jesus can do. May His rich grace be your strength and stay.