Friend...

[Mr 5 0]

Latin Mustang:

Please accept my sincere sympathy for your friend's terminal illness.

Anyone can understand your pain and the fairly common reaction of questioning your religious faith (and God) when tragedies happen to us or those we love or feel close to. It's hard.

I find it ironic that often - as in your friend's case - the person facing death has a much better acceptance of it than those around them who are facing a loss, but not death.

God is not killing your friend, cancer is. In the Christian religion we believe that it's undisputable that God gives us our life and God can take it from us at His will. We have no claim to 70 or 80 years on earth. Every day is a gift from God and most of us waste a good deal of it, in my opinion. God doesn't owe us anything - including a long life - - but He gives us much and we are often ungrateful.

We forget, overlook or worse yet, take personal credit for the good things that happen in our lives and then get angry when bad things happen and we sometimes dare to blame God, the creator of life itself. I'v been guilty of doing this too at times but I still believe in the supremacy of God, His dominion over His creation, and his love for mankind.

I don't believe or expect that life on earth should or will be trouble free. The bible tells us it won't be. Heaven is eternal and our goal but mortal life is sometimes hard, although often rewarding, too. As Jesus said: "The rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous" (the good and the bad).

I would suggest that in your grief, despair and anger you consider that your lovely young friend is ready to pass into eternity and so, try to be as positive as you can for her as this really isn't about you.

Perhaps some of her serenity may rub off on you and help you deal with this impending loss. God loves this girl - as He loves you - and though it may seem unfair, God knows better than we do what is best for us, even to the very timing of our deaths and He does not give us more than we can bear, if we call on Jesus in our time of need.

I write this to you as a Christian man communicating with another who has some religious background and will consider my words and accept them in the positive manner I intend them.

Of course I wish you and your sick young friend the best in this tough situation. I urge you: please, don't despair.