Why do Bad things Happen to Good People?

This is a question that lingers in my heart as I hear the News of someone being shot, beaten, tortured and left for dead-with no real explanation as to Why.  Comments are made by the Media that perhaps the person was simply in the wrong place and got caught in the cross-hairs of gun fire and we all shake our heads in confusion, trying to get a grasp on this evil running rampant in our world.

We never think about Violence of this nature affecting us-but it does as a day came for my family-that changed us forever.  My dear Mother-in-law was 80 years old, held a full-time job as a Cook at her Local Parish and loved cooking for the Priests.  We thought our lives were fine until early on the morning of July 04th, 1990 when a young man broke into her home, beat her and then stabbed her six times, taking what he could grab from her home and leaving her dead on her bed.

It was a nightmare that we thought would never end-my husband was a Police Officer and I can't even start to describe how helpless he felt in not being able to protect his beloved Mother from suffering this type of death.
The man was caught within an hour, admitted he was guilty and we found out later-was a repeat offender, meaning he had been in and out of the Prison System as each crime he committed grew more serious. Now he is in prison for the remainder of his life-where he is kept from being on the streets so no other family will have to suffer from his violent actions.

 I learned fast about being a Victim of Violent Crime-it lingers inside and you NEVER forget that awful morning.  For years we dreaded this annual holiday of July 04th coming up, knowing how our hearts ached as memories surfaced each time.  But God has an amazing way of reaching us if we will just open our hearts and we began to heal, even offering up a prayer for this man. Our beloved "Mom"  would have been the first one to tell us "You have to pray for him-God wants us to do that!"  We have come a long way since that horrible moment-and yes it changed every single member of the family-how could it not?  But we leaned Hard on God and knew He was holding us up, helping us find the courage to move toward healing.

So I ask my question again-Why Do Bad things Happen to Good People because there was another act of terrible violence in a community here in Central Texas recently.  A well-known family who had a thriving Pecan business, known to everyone in their town, suffered a horrible blow as news hit the media that the 85  year old Grandmother of the family, had attended church on Sunday with her female Caretaker and then seemed to have just vanished.  More news arrived as the 9 year old son of the Caretaker, called police to say "My Mom is dead and I don't know where the other lady is at!"  That child will Never forget finding his Mother in that tragic manner-never.  But before the sun went down that evening, the adopted grandson confessed to having murdered both women and led police to where the Grandmother was buried at.

More news kept coming and people learned there had been a lengthy battle in the courts over future inheritance money by this grandson.  I found myself thinking-"Killing two innocent women-over Money?"  No answers came to me-but I prayed hard for this family, knowing their nightmare will not end and they will forever be haunted by the evil that walked into their lives one Sunday afternoon.

I felt compelled to talk about this-with Easter quickly approaching-and thinking deep in my heart about another long ago "innocent Victim-Jesus" beaten, suffered and died on a Cross-for LOVE.

Please offer up a prayer for all the Crime Victims across this world, asking God to hold them in His loving Embrace as they walk through the nightmare of losing a loved one to violence.