Bereaved Parents Month 2023: Am I Trying to Put God in a Box?

I first shared this some years ago as I was beginning to work through the theological implications of a God who did not intervene to save my son.

I thought I understood who God was and how He worked in the world because nothing that had happened to me challenged those assumptions. Things were neat and tidy with clear edges that demarcated “those who love God” and “those who refuse Him”.

But God is not confined to a box I or any other human can construct. He is GOD.

That’s a hard, hard truth to digest but it is truth. 

❤ Melanie

It’s possible that you haven’t thought of it this way, but if you are a believer in Christ and have yet to walk through faith-shattering trials, you may have placed God in a box.

I know I had.

I thought that after decades of walking with Jesus, reading and studying Scripture and wading through some fairly significant trials I had God pretty well figured out.

I could quote verses for every occasion, open my Bible to any book without looking in the Table of Contents, and had something sprirtual to say about everything.

But now, like Job, I cover my mouth.

Read the rest here: God in a Box

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Author: Melanie

I am a shepherd, wife and mother of four amazing children, three that walk the earth with me and one who lives with Jesus. This is a record of my grief journey and a look into the life I didn't choose. If you are interested in joining a community of bereaved parents leaning on the promises of God in Christ, please like the public Facebook page, "Heartache and Hope: Life After Losing a Child" and join the conversation.

One thought on “Bereaved Parents Month 2023: Am I Trying to Put God in a Box?”

  1. It has been almost 4 1/2 yrs. since my son took his life…and about 4 yrs. that you have kept me ‘under your wing’ nurturing my faith inspire of loss. I could not read one verse from the Bible, or even recall my nearly 70 yrs of Bible readings or hymns by or prayers.Most friends disappeared without a trace and so my losses were bigger than I would have ever imagined. Even our pastor did not find his way to our home physically or by phone…I never ‘lost’
    my faith but rather it seemed to simply float above me like a vapor. My doctor insisted on medication to numb my brain which I am just now getting off of…We have moved to another state which seems like another country…I can simply be ‘normal’ here…meeting new people who, like myself, have moved here from somewhere. They do not know my smile is a mask…I do not have expectations b/c we busy ourselves with other things. We found a church home to cultivate our faith, though a portion of our heart is not with us…Your posts have ‘strung me along’ on s journey I never ever supposed would be me…but without knowing me personally, YOU have held my hand through all this…I still cannot make sense of what Ryan chose to do…I am still broken with heartbroken 💔 but God has used you to hold my hand so that I could lift my head above the water and breathe again… I will never forget you…and I pray that He will remain your strength and give to you a portion of what you have give me and so many!

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