I have felt the absence of God before, it's a terrible thing. But there's something inside me that just knows he's there. Maybe not the God portrayed in the bible, but I believe there is a creator, and that we live on after death. I just believe it.

I've been thinking about this a lot the past few years too.

The only answer I can think of is that good people are taken relatively early from this Earth because good people are TOO GOOD for this Earth, and are destined for a much greater place in the Great Beyond. Bad people seem to get to inhabit this place and flourish forever...or at least for a time, until they depart their bodies, and then...who knows? Christians would like to believe that the evil, wicked and unrepentant go to a place called "hell", where they are punished for their sins. But part of me believes that such people make THIS place, THIS Earth "hell".

It's tough for us mere mortals to grasp these things, because we don't see the grand scheme of eternity., like the Creator, who could be called "God", and, yes, I do believe that there is a God, although His presence is not readily senseable, because He's awfully busy, continuing to create the universe and the universe of the other side, which are so vast as to be unimagineable, incomprehendable, by us mere mortals..

I feel that, when we see from the perspective of eternity, from the perspective of our Creator, absent of a body, the need for money or any material worries, the only concern is combating boredom. We have to combat boredom on this Earth too, but, here, we have to struggle for everything, money, health, love, whereas on the other side, we merely think it and it's there, infused into our being, with all the abundance we require, which is really rather comforting, i think.

And I think we're "placed", by the Creator, where we're needed, kind of like job placement, except it's KARMIC job placement. Instead of having to work a job for money, we are asked to work a job based on our talents, for love. Perhaps some of us will be placed at the entrance to the Great Beyond to greet our loved ones who will pass on after us. Perhaps some of us will get to share our knowledge with other spirits less experienced in areas where we have more experience. Perhaps some of us get to be guardian angels who visit this side to watch over our siblings or children's yet-to-be-born children, wherever our spirits and particular emotional makeup unique to us is needed. Again, I think it's all quite comforting.

The trick is tapping into that Divine greatness, WHILE WE'RE HERE, help each other WHO ARE HERE, to take the time to be empathetic. I'm trying! I'll be here all night lol.

The Wicked live long because God gives them a second, third, fouth, billionth chance to redeem themselves.

The Good are saved from the suffering and rewarding with everlasting life in Heaven.

Then there's US, who are left behind; to mourn those lost to us because they were Angels.

You, and people like you, like me--suffer their loss. But no more than their hearts ached to do good on this Earth. We will have to soldier on, being a light and a source of goodness in this world for them. To carry on their spirit and purity. We will be rewarded by seeing them once again--perfect and beautiful.

But only if we BELIEVE.

Faith requires grace, and that from God, which requires prayer. Pray for grace.

Bad things happen every second of every day. It is the nature of this reality, this corrupt world. The creation itself is perfect and quite complex. There's sufficient science out there to actually prove that this is not a random creation but,rather, the result of intelligent determined design: it's everywhere in creation. So there is a "designer", we call that God (a universal term, along with Allah, to designate this creator).

Every life has a purpose: even the smallest lives (microscopic), and each life is unique (not one other exactly like it). In this place free will exists, that is from God so that His creation is not robotic but alive. This free will allows errors, both in nature and in behavior; God is "allowing" it, not condoning it, not wishing it, not causing it. My thoughtful consideration results in my theory that the creation is slowly, even while free will fights this, turning back to God so as to become, as it were, a physical mirror of His spirit. This might take billions upon billions of years. Or, of course, it could happen in a split second should He decide to "stop the world" and all the rest of creation.

Our lives mean something. Every life does. Our bodies are not our "selves". Physics alone tells us that thoughts are energy and energy cannot be destroyed. There are thousands of books on the subject of the reality of God, many written by serious scientists. There are also tens of thousands of reports of NDEs. I had one. This fleshly world is far from all that "is". We are not able to apprehend the "reason" or to understand the overall "purpose" because we are part of the creation, not the Creator.

Billions of people in the history of the Human race have believed in "gods" according to their ability to make sense of things; finally they arrived (for the most part) to one God. Religions don't always agree with one another on what God wants of us but they do all acknowledge Him.

Einstein asked, "Does God play dice with the universe" in an attempt to answer those theorists who simply agree upon chaos. No, He does not. Nor does He "mess" with people's lives: that happens as a result of the world's imperfection. "Bad" things happen to "bad" people, too.

Leonard is not in the flesh but neither is he gone into oblivion. He is in the next "place", most likely another dimension. Living without the comfort of God is heartbreaking for He has promised us His mercy and has suffered as one of us every single negative experience possible. Pray, sister. Pray for grace to allow faith into your life.

Every time I doubt my faith, I look at my nieces and nephews. They affirm my belief that life keeps going, here and elsewhere.

When I was a kid there was this kid I went to church and school with. He was honestly the best person I'd ever met. Kind, selfless, caring, went out of his way to help others, make them smile, etc. He was fatily shot in a game of cowboys and indians. Like you, so many questioned everything. He was so special and in those short nine years he had made such a big impact on the church and community, and me. 30 years later I still don't know why he was taken. I have to believe there was a reason. I have to believe that even if I never realize the answer of why that he was/is part of a plan. Maybe it was to effect his community. Maybe his death somehow saved or will save many lives. I know that doesn't help. They are still gone. I pray for clarity and understanding for you and am sending warm fuzzies to you.

ParkerAnn: Yep, I think raising the community's awareness of the dangers of guns was exactly why he was taken. And the fact that he made a mark during his short life is why he was here. The point is to remember how they LIVED, not how they DIED, and to honor and keep their spirit alive by behaving the same way they did when they were here, with kindness and generosity.

We are all going to die, as we entered this earth, our day of departure was already written. It is not a God that punishes us by making ALL things die. A seed must die so that the mighty oak can take root. The oak was always IN the seed, but needs the right time to realise the fullness of it's purpose. You dear one do not have to believe in God - He believes in you. At a later stage of enlightenment you will understand better than you do now. xxx

this sums up my feelings also.

my dear wife died in january from cancer and one thing that tasks me relentlessly is not believing in a better place.
If we could somehow get answers as to "why" and be able to believe that our loved one is happy somewhere would make this pain so much less difficult to endure.

Faith is a gift from god it is not something that you are born with it is earned or rewarded by god having placed your trust in him alone no matter what trial you are experiencing! He will always be there for all of us god is LOVE . Seek gods truth first he is waiting at the door of each heart prayer is a conversation with god. He knows each heart and knows all things ! Even those things you have never spoken to any one! Heaven is very real and the devil is very real I pray you keep seeking to find faith god loves to give faith to everyone only if you open your hearts to him!

So how you doin', chillipepper? Any better?

Maybe this will help you as it has helped me. I just started reading
When Bad Things Happen to Good People. In the book, the author
Harold S. Kushner refers to a book The Eight Day written by Thornton Wilder. That book tells a story of a good and decent man whose life is ruined by bad luck and hostility. He and his family suffer although they are innocent. At the end of the novel where the reader would hope for a happy ending, with heroes rewarded and villains punished, there is none. Instead, Wilder offers the image of a beautiful tapestry. Looked at from the right side, it is an intricately woven work of art, drawing together threads of different
lengths and colors to make up an inspiring picture. But turn the tapestry over, and you'll see a hodgepodge of many threads, some short and some long, some smooth and some cut and knotted, going off in different directions. Wilder offers this as his explanation of why good people have to suffer in this life. God has a pattern into which all of our lives fit. His pattern requires that some lives be twisted, knotted, or cut short, while others extend to
impressive lengths, not because one thread is more deserving than another, but simply because the pattern requires it. Looked at from underneath, from our vantage point in life, God's pattern of reward and punishment seems arbitrary and without design, like the underside of a tapestry. But looked at from outside this life, from God's vantage point, every twist and knot is seen to have its place in a great design that adds up to a work of art.

Miafelina...thank you for sharing that, it was rather profound...and if I could believe that there was a god who had this grand design then tapestry analogy is quite beautiful and even comforting. But as I mentioned before, I had doubt in a god before Leonard died and even more so now. The only way I can see that changing is if indeed there is a god and he performs so some of miracle on me.

I am up and down koolman. Kinda like a yoyo. But thanks for asking.