Jennifer,

Those are very good questions.

First, if we allow Him, God saves us from those things of the world, the flesh, and the devil that can lead us to an eternity in Hell. He does not always protect us from physical harms, all of which have their roots in original sin.

Realize that it is not God's way to remove all suffering in this life, but rather to guide us through it and give us the strength to endure and grow from it. We also are invited to offer all our suffering of this life, in union with Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross, for the salvation of souls.

In other words, Christ, our Head, depends on the suffering of His Body (the Church) to all be offered to the Father for the salvation of souls. This is how the mystical Person of Christ saves the world from sin and its effects, and we are given the dignity of being causes for each other's salvation: by offering to God our sufferings.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this earthly journey is God's story, not ours. He writes the whole book and knows how it ends; we are just players that have a small snapshot.

His is an Eternal Perspective and He sees the big picture and knows how everything fits together for the good. We can't necessarily see it but if we trust in God, He will protect us — especially from those things that can destroy our soul.

His desire is for us to live in eternal happiness with Him in Heaven, not to have a comfortable life here on temporary Earth. Sometimes discomfort and suffering is medicine for our soul, bringing us back to God and the eternal salvation that He offers us.

Peace,

Paul

Hi Jennifer,

You said:
I'm an anxious person and I will admit that it is calming to think that my family and
I are being watched over by God and that we will all be safe.

• However there are 7 billion people on the planet and, if that is true, would we all not lead safe, happy lives?
• When a loved one dies tragically does that mean that they weren't being watched over by God?

Your questions are very good. In addition to Paul's fine reply, we have to remember that one of the greatest gifts the Lord has given us, that can be used for good or evil, is our own free will.

Each one of us was created by God for a specific purpose in life with the hope and intent that we will use our free will for good, holy purposes for the vocation for which we have been called to.
Sometimes, His Permissive Will allows things to happen for our own good, though they may not appear or feel very good at the time they happen.

Such was the case when I recently moved from a 5-bedroom apartment to a 3-bedroom apartment.

Whether His Permissive Will involves anxiety, suffering, or even death, it is important to remember that the Lord will take us to the next [eternal] life at the best time during our earthly lives.

For that reason, we can view the tragic death of a loved one in a positive limelight instead of God being asleep at the wheel. Because we are human, there is no way we can totally understand His Will until we see it in the Next Life.

Mike