The great Ancient Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, “The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” Even though Seneca lived over two thousand years ago, his words are painfully accurate. None of us know for certain what the future holds. All you have to do is watch the news on any given day for confirmation of that fact.

Most likely you have read about the horrific plane crash in Washington D.C. that killed over sixty unsuspecting people. I have no doubt many of them were peering out the windows of the airplane trying to catch a glimpse of the White House or one of the many other historical monuments that light up the landscape at night. I have flown into that exact airport several times to visit my son and daughter-in-law, and I always find it awe -inspiring to see our Nation’s Capital from the sky.

I could have been on that plane.

It was just four weeks ago a crazed maniac drove his pickup truck down a crowded street of people celebrating New Year’s in New Orleans, killing over a dozen people and injuring dozens more.

I could have been at that celebration.

In both of those tragedies, nobody saw it coming. To say life is fragile is an understatement. Unfortunately, it has always been that way, and that will never change. Seneca knew that over two thousand years ago, and his words are truer today than ever. Possibly because whenever a tragedy does strike anywhere in the world, we immediately learn about it.

One thing that I am very certain of is this, nobody is going to get out of life alive. Why tragedy happens, I will never know. I have a hard time believing that either one of these incidents were part of God’s plan and He has a reason for it. I find that a religious cop out, lacking merit, common sense, and compassion.

Absolutely I believe in God, but the older I get in my life, I’m not so certain that God has a specific plan for me. What do you tell those grieving families from those two horrible incidents? Do you tell them God has a plan? That’s insanity, and how does that even make sense to people who lost a friend or family member in either one of those tragedies?

God’s plan? I’m not sure I’d want to hear that if I was suffering the sudden loss of a loved one. My mother died at fifty-seven, and to this day, I still don’t see God’s plan in her death. She just died too young and missed out a bunch of family, fun, and love here on earth. So, I’m not so sure of all this God’s plan stuff; but I am sure of God’s strength and the hope I have in Him to get me through the setbacks in life.

For me anyway, God has become more about bearing burdens and dealing with life much more than finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. I have learned that God is not a wishing well, but more of a source of hope in knowing there is nothing I cannot manage through His strength.

God has become more of a resting place than a Genie in a bottle.

Maybe that is God’s plan for my life? That I learn to trust him in everything I do, whether it’s successful or not. When I was much younger, the God of my youth was looking for fame, fortune, a big house, a large bank account and a four-wheel drive pickup truck.

Today, the God of my youth is not the same God of my old age. I know God is the same today, yesterday, and forever, that’s scripture. So, it is not God who has changed, but rather my expectations of Him.

It’s easy to complicate life by trying to explain God’s purpose in everything that happens. I mean does anyone really know for sure what God is thinking? Life happens to us all, and sometimes it makes absolutely no sense at all.

In the Chris Stapleton song, Broken Halo’s, he has a lyric that I have learned to live by.

“Don’t go looking for the reasons.

Don’t go asking Jesus why.

We’re not meant to know the answer.

They belong to the by and by.”

I will ask God to give those suffering from these recent tragedies His unending strength, that’s all I know for certain is real. Other than that, I have no answers.

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Todd Howey is a columnist for BrownwoodNews.com whose articles appear on Fridays. Email comments to [email protected].