-Old Sacramento Shooting-

January 3. 2013

How involved is God? As a pastor, who has studied and enjoys theology, my brain often entertains these types of questions. I absolutely believe in the existence of God, but how involved is God in the everyday of our lives? Does God chart out our every breathe and every move or did God set in motion this world in which we live and leave us to our own demise? There are scriptures that seem to support either argument. So where do I stand on the issue - I am glad you asked!

This past Monday Shawna and I decided it was time to buy Elsie a Big Girl bed. We got on Craigslist and found the perfect bed in West Sacramento at the perfect price. I got in my car and drove to West Sacramento to pick up this bed. Monday was New Year's Eve and traditionally we would be going to Old Sacramento for the 9pm fireworks show with our kids. Last year the traffic getting out of the garage that we always park in was horrible. While in West Sacramento I had a brilliant idea. Let's park on this side of the river and walk across the bridge into Old Sac thus missing all the traffic. As we drove to Old Sac that night Shawna and I debated the idea and as we begin to exit into Old Sac decided to pull back onto the freeway and try parking in West Sac. Follow me here! Every year we park in the same garage. The walk from the fireworks to this garage takes us right down the street where the New Year's Eve shooting took place.

If you have not followed the story a man in a bar begin shooting. He killed two people and wounded two people before he too was shot. His shooting rampage reportedly took him from the bar to randomly shooting down the street. The very street we would have traditionally been walking down.
Now, back to our question. How involved is God in the everyday of our lives? A chain of events throughout my day led me to park in a new place avoiding a deranged shooter. If we would not have decided to buy a bed earlier that day, who knows what the outcome would have been. We probably wouldn't have been shot, but we would have been in the middle of the chaos and confusion.

Here is what I believe:

1) God does not control our every decision and our every move. We are free to make our own decisions and live with the consequences of our decisions. To a great extent God did set this world in motion and is not controlling each weather pattern, marriage, financial decision, and accident. (Matthew 5:45)

2) God is involved as we invite him to be. Did God speak to me and tell me to park in a different place? NO. Did God have his hand in my parking in a different place? ABSOLUTELY! As we walk with God he directs our steps even unknowingly. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

So the answer, in my opinion and experience, is somewhere in the middle. I thank God for the chain of events that led to a different parking spot. I thank God that He answers my daily prayer to direct my steps and protect my family. Now, what if I would have been in the middle of it? I am confident God would have placed me there for a purpose. If there was no purpose/reason then he would not and did not direct my steps to be on that road.

This does not answer the ultimate question that always arises in these conversations. Why do bad things happen to good people? Maybe I will tackle that one next.