Bad for Good by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
It had been a lovely day. My friend and I attended a luncheon that featured a social media expert and we were blessed by the information. I provided the giveaway basket for the event, filled with gifts that people could use for the holidays. So my friend did not have to drive and spend money on gas, I offered to take her to the event. It is one way I like to help out. She needed to run an errand afterwards and asked if I could drive her to the location. It was not that far out of our way, so I said, “Of course!”
We were on the final leg of our journey and engaged in conversation when we came upon a school zone. I slowed down to 20 mph, and because my friend and I were chatting, I forgot that the school zone still continued after I turned the corner. When I saw the police car, the light bulb went off—but it was too late. His lights also went on and there was no way to avoid a ticket—my first in about ten years. God knows my heart. He knows that I would never intentionally speed in a school zone, but I was distracted, and it cost me.
Later, I was disappointed about my misfortune and asked the LORD, Why would you let this happen when I did so many nice things for people today? That’s when I heard the verse, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). This was a statement Jesus made in the famous “Sermon on the Mount” and it came right after He had told his audience to love their enemies and to pray for those who persecute them. With that statement he was basically saying that bad things happen to good people. We could be doing everything right and still have a trial, a death, or a financial crash. What I have learned is that it doesn’t mean that God is punishing us or does not love us. These difficulties happen to all humans, and in my case, I got a ticket even though I was a do-gooder that day.
My friend did ask the police officer to give me a warning rather than a ticket. He replied, “I can’t do that. I just wrote a ticket for someone who was going 33 mph in the school zone. It wouldn’t be fair to let her go.” I thought, Did he or she do nice things for people all day? Maybe, but it does prove my point. There was a law for all people, good or bad, and I broke it.
Whenever anything difficult happens to me, I generally pray, What do you want me to learn from this? I don’t get angry with God. Why? Because no one can escape trials, yet I know God is good, and I must trust He will use the bad scenario for His glory.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28, NIV).