Updated to Add: Thank you for the book suggestions! I'm writing them down and checking them out. In the meantime I took this wonderful article over to my neighbor.
One of the neighborhood children we minister to went to AWANA with us last night. She hasn't had any spiritual input that I know of since the last time she was at AWANA, as she moved out of this neighborhood for a time. Our young friend's spiritual ideas are a bit confused, mixing a little with what she's heard about meditation and possibly about eastern religions. I think she's made a commitment to God, but I can't be sure due to the other ideas that seem to have cropped up in the last five months.
At any rate, she's very spiritually interested.
This afternoon she told me she is trying to get her mom to believe in God. Five years ago her mother lost a child to drowning, then she left her husband, and things have gone down hill from there, according to our eleven-year-old friend. There's been a lot of grief and even more trouble, with the law and with unfortunate liasons.
Her mother asked, "If God is real and he knows the future, why doesn't he tell us when something bad is going to happen?" This is a variation of the common question "Why does God allow bad things to happen?
That this woman is asking this is a wonderful sign! This is how the relationships we develop can bring fruit. If we wait and just concentrate on a non-judgemental, caring relationship--in this case it was with her daughter--the Spirit will work and when the time is right, previously uninterested or spiritually-hostile people will become seekers of the Truth, and we, God's people, are already in place to help answer their questions. It's beautiful how God sets it all up.
I desperately want to get this right, but all we have here are theological books that wouldn't be appropriate in answering this mother's question, and I don't communicate very well verbally, so much as through writing. And this mother is shyer than I am. What I really think would help is a short book that answers this question concisely and effectively--a spiritually sound book but without a lot of complicated theology.
Do you have any book suggestions? We are starting school Monday and I'm trying to finalize our schedule. At this time it would be difficult to spend five hours trying to search online for the right book, although I will if I have to.
I thought I'd ask you first? Thank you!
One of the neighborhood children we minister to went to AWANA with us last night. She hasn't had any spiritual input that I know of since the last time she was at AWANA, as she moved out of this neighborhood for a time. Our young friend's spiritual ideas are a bit confused, mixing a little with what she's heard about meditation and possibly about eastern religions. I think she's made a commitment to God, but I can't be sure due to the other ideas that seem to have cropped up in the last five months.
At any rate, she's very spiritually interested.
This afternoon she told me she is trying to get her mom to believe in God. Five years ago her mother lost a child to drowning, then she left her husband, and things have gone down hill from there, according to our eleven-year-old friend. There's been a lot of grief and even more trouble, with the law and with unfortunate liasons.
Her mother asked, "If God is real and he knows the future, why doesn't he tell us when something bad is going to happen?" This is a variation of the common question "Why does God allow bad things to happen?
That this woman is asking this is a wonderful sign! This is how the relationships we develop can bring fruit. If we wait and just concentrate on a non-judgemental, caring relationship--in this case it was with her daughter--the Spirit will work and when the time is right, previously uninterested or spiritually-hostile people will become seekers of the Truth, and we, God's people, are already in place to help answer their questions. It's beautiful how God sets it all up.
I desperately want to get this right, but all we have here are theological books that wouldn't be appropriate in answering this mother's question, and I don't communicate very well verbally, so much as through writing. And this mother is shyer than I am. What I really think would help is a short book that answers this question concisely and effectively--a spiritually sound book but without a lot of complicated theology.
Do you have any book suggestions? We are starting school Monday and I'm trying to finalize our schedule. At this time it would be difficult to spend five hours trying to search online for the right book, although I will if I have to.
I thought I'd ask you first? Thank you!
3 comments:
A Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel
This is the book my husband read before coming to Christ. Not terribly long and answers questions like your neighbor asked. Just a thought
Thank you, Margie. I will check into it and I so appreciate the help. Good to hear from you!
Where's God when it hurts, by Philip Yancey.
Hope for a hopeless day, By Jack Hayford (very short easy read)
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