Corine HarpeIt would be an understatement to say that 2015 has been a rough year both personally and for many others that I know. Never have I been in more of a state of distress and turmoil.
The circumstances come from a series of unrelenting, unexpected events. One I have been struggling with is my cousin's death in February, which followed the still-recent death of my aunt - his mother - two of my favorite and most beloved people.
Whether from job insecurity, deaths in the family, having to move for a job or money struggles, many of my friends and acquaintances also are dealing with a sense of losing control over their lives. Whoever said that the 20s are the "time of your life" was terribly mistaken.
I crave a life of stability, routine and security, but lately feelings of grief have been echoed among all of us when our beautiful community experienced a senseless act of violence that quickly turned into a national tragedy and ongoing cause for alarm and panic.
Before this terrible act, the circumstances of my year have caused me to grow closer to God than ever before. I do not worship to seek an explanation for the unexplained, but instead as a comfort and to praise the blessings that I have received.
Recently, however, the events within our community have caused me to ask, where is God in times of tragedy?
I know that question is something many others have asked, that many have explored and that many still struggle to answer. Perhaps there will never be an answer. Ultimately we cannot be certain why these things happen because we cannot see the full extent of God's plan. But, there are some ways I feel we can see God in tragedy, and these have been my light through travels in the darkness of 2015.
The first is that God can be seen in the little things, perhaps the details of life, the things that we rarely notice, such as a rainbow after a rainstorm or the sunrise in the morning. Sometimes these details can be as simple as seeing my favorite color, orange, in flowers by the side of the road, or the first few sips of good coffee in the morning.
I have always felt that the favorites of our life keep us sane, and for most of this year, I have kept a list of favorite things to remind me of the gifts of life when I am down.
Humor falls under this category because I believe it's a gift from God. To that end, many recent TV comedies have helped me through this year.
The second way we can see God in times of grief is through kind acts. The way our community came together after the recent tragedy was something to behold. The kindness and respect shown for the servicemen during their funerals and through the memorials and tributes was amazing. Sometimes bad events bring us closer and help us realize what we were all along - a community united, a community strong.
Next, God reminds us to keep hoping, and he provides our hope. We realize through prayer that there is chance for the hardships within our life to be resolved. We can put all our faith, worries and troubles in the power of prayer and in the hands of God to see us through.
Along with providing a sense of hope through prayer, God also can give us a sense of peace. Many times my mind has been overcome by anxiety and feelings of unfairness towards the world, only to have those feelings lifted through prayer or even when entering church. Dedicating my troubles to God has helped enormously in times of stress.
Lastly, it is important for me to remember as a Christian that Christ died for our sins, and my problems do not begin to compare to his suffering. Along with hope, the Lord reminds me that perseverance is key even if it takes a while to see the good.
So where is God during times of pain? We must remember that he is in the details.
Contact Corin Harpe at corinharpe@gmail.com.