God is in Control

I have a had a few experiences in the past couple of months that show me that God truly is the regulator of life and death.

My grandmother passed away early this morning at the age of 95. She has lived a good, long life and her death was truly a blessing as it relieved her of any further pain and suffering. In many ways, I can’t explain how she held on as long as she did.

Last fall, she broke her hip. When I went to visit her in the hospital prior to her surgery, I was sure she wouldn’t survive the procedure – but she did. She then spent some time in assisted living while she recovered and completed some therapy. However, shortly after returning home about a month ago, she fell again and was not really able to support her own weight or move on her own (even with a walker) after that time. I’m not sure why she had to suffer the pain and anguish of becoming completely dependent on others before she passed away.

Another death that touched me recently was that of a soldier in Iraq by the name of Michael Alleman. Mr. Alleman was my daughter, Raquel’s, 5th Grade teacher at Nibley Elementary. He had a great love of his Country and instilled that same love and passion for freedom in his students. The year after he taught Raquel, he left the teaching profession to enlist in the military and served on the front lines in Iraq. He was killed in the line of duty – leaving behind a wife and two small children. While Mr. Alleman died defending what he loved – his death made me again question why some people die, while others live.

The third story of life and death is that of my three nieces who were involved in a near-fatal car accident on December 6. All three were hospitalized. Two of them made rather quick and remarkable recoveries – the third niece’s recovery is incredibly remarkable, but has been considerably longer. She was in a coma for nearly 3 weeks and spent nearly 3 months in the children’s hospital in Denver, Colorado. You can watch the associated video in this post for more of her amazing story. The point is – this experience, again, made me question why some people live and some people die.

This was reinforced again with the untimely passing of Natasha Richardson (famous actress whom my family loved in The Parent Trap). She passed away apparently from a fall on a beginner ski slope. Why would she die from a comparatively minor fall while my nieces survive a horrific car crash – I do not know.

What I do know is this:
· God is good
· God loves us
· God’s purposes and perspective are eternal
· God is in control