Dear God,

When I stopped by the bank yesterday I received the terrible news that Pete Stellpflug died when his tractor rolled on top of him. I still have a hard time believing it. I worked with Pete on the Eyota Days Committee and marveled at his passion and energy for the City of Eyota. Pete served as the banker for Shannon's business and always made sure she was taken care of. Every time I'd stop into the bank I'd feel compelled to poke my head into Pete's office to give him grief. He had a great sense of humor.

Lord, how can things like this happen? How can a good, caring, man of faith have his life so quickly snuffed out? He had family and friends that loved him and depended on him. It doesn't seem right.

Are YOU the kind of God who causes these tragedies? As people try to find meaning in this mess it can be easy to lay the blame at YOUR feet.

• "Everything happens for a reason" - Really?? What reason could possibly justify such a horrible thing?
• "It was part of God's plan" - Seriously?? YOU planned to cause a family to experience this kind of grief??
• "God needed Pete in heaven" - I think his family needed him down here!
• "God needed another flower in God's garden" - I'd think that YOU could grow your garden without causing so much pain!

God, if any of these remarks are true then YOU caused Pete's death, which makes YOU into a God who enjoys seeing people suffer.  That doesn't sound like YOU at all! YOU are the God who came to earth in Jesus to DEFEAT suffering and death...not to CAUSE it!

But God, if YOU didn't cause this tragedy, does that mean that YOU didn't have enough power to prevent it?   If YOU don't have the power to stop a tractor from rolling over then YOU can't be trusted to have power over greater things. YOU reveal YOURSELF in scripture as the God who created all things...who works in all things...who conquers sin and death. That's a lot of power! If the words of the Bible have ANY meaning for us at all, then we must reject any notion that YOU are powerless to act.

If YOU didn't cause the tractor to tip over on Pete...and if YOU have power to prevent it but didn't...then that must mean that you chose to allow it to happen. We obviously live in a world where bad things happen. Pete's death hits close to home, but we're not the only ones suffering today. Tragedies like this happen every day.  We live in a world of pain and death. My feeble attempts to find explanations or deep meaning leave me empty.

God, I'll be honest. I don't understand how YOU could allow such suffering in the world! The one thing that I DO know is that YOU came in Jesus to conquer sin and death forever. I am simply left with this promise for Pete...and for me:

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:3-5)

I cling to this promise with my entire being!

Your Child,

Pastor Pete