Grace's Question

On Wednesday, I was checking my email and Grace just finished her quiet time (naps are no longer).  Since she was born, we have had a routine.  I pick her up or as in today, she comes into my art room and climbs on my lap and we snuggle for about ten minutes.  Ahh, ten blissful minutes that I cherish!  I ignore my email and just hold her, she snuggles into my shoulder and we rock.  My chair doesn't rock but we rock any ways.  She slowly wakes up and when the ten minutes are up, so is she.

She stands next to me fumbling with some papers.  I go back to my email.  It is an email showing a young couple meeting, dating, marrying, then he goes to war.  It shows him in the hospital.  His legs and arms are gone due to a bomb.  His wife is there.  More pictures of his physical therapy, his wife is there helping him.  There are many pictures with him smiling and her smiling--the loss of his limbs doesn't effect their happiness.

There are heartwarming photos of her carrying him on her back both of them wearing smiles. Though he lost his legs and arms, the LORD showed him true love..  Tears are starting to flow with me and I almost forgot the pair of little eyes next to me.

"Nana?" I hear Grace's small voice.  "Nana," she looks at me with deep thoughts going on in her young mind, "where was the LORD when that guy got hurt?"

Whoa!  I never thought I would hear that question from a four year old!  She was serious. I was praying "what do I say?"  Without hesitation, I said, "He was right beside him."  "But he got hurt bad." was her reply.

I brought her to me and told her I don't understand why it happened but I know the LORD didn't leave him or his wife.  He gave him new legs and arms and more than that a strong love of his wife and he is happy.  "Oh," she said in a whisper, "Will they take away his new arms and legs?"  "No, they are his now," I replied.  "Is the LORD here?"  "Oh, yes, Grace, he is always here," I reply.  "Is Colby here?" she asks as she strokes an imaginary cat next to her.  I smile, "I think so, he is watching you too."

Satisfied with that, she changed the subject and I was relieved because I have the gift of mercy not words.  My best friend, Jeannie, asked me months ago, "Why does God let bad things happen?" My answer is the same, I don't know or understand.  Sometimes we don't understand until we reach Heaven.

Both Hunter and Grace ask tough questions when I am not quite ready...or maybe I am?  It doesn't have to be a Bible scholar's answer--one from the heart is enough for Him.