"What do you do when God doesn't show up the way you thought He would?"

Chapter 1 - One Reality

When we wake-up and realize that we do not live in "Leave It To Beaver" world where everything turns out right in the end what do we do? Our media and society tries to paint the picture that things will always work out if you do the "right" thing. In reality this is just not so. In our Christian world this is the case also. If I read my Bible, pray, go to church, live the best I can for Jesus then everything will be all right. This is not the "reality" we live in everyday.

One thing we must all realize is: "No matter what has happened or how you feel, please know you're not alone. Because here's what I'm learning: everyone needs healing. Everyone.

In chapter one the author mentions that none of us every expect "bad" things to happen to us. We don't begin our life and think - At forty I will have cancer or at 35 I will be divorced twice or I will be depressed and alone at 38 or I will be disabled by 50, etc... We all believe things will go our way and everything will work out well. But, reality hits us right between the eyes and we realize that things are not going our way and we have feelings of frustration, hurt, anger, bitterness, and/or resentment. Part of the reason we feel strong emotions when things go wrong in our lives is because it seems like everyone around us is doing fine - they are making their dreams come true. Their lives seem so put together.

What do we do with our shattered dream? What do you do when you have to turn to Plan B? Everyone struggles with this and we all feel the need for an answer.

The author mentions: "The question that resurfaces for me again and again has more to do with all the unexplainable pain and hurt in this world. The greater struggle for me is that God does exist, yet so does a lot of pain and suffering.

We all have our own journey. If you do not yet have a relationship with God the author requests an open-minded approach to his book. If you have a relationship with God and things just don't seem to be working anymore. You feel confused, lost, and possibly annoyed because God hasn't seemed to deliver the way so many over the years have promised you He would. I hope this book study/blog will provide a new perspective on the promises of God.

I agree with the author, I haven't heard of anyone's journey of faith that hasn't had a Plan B story - a time in life when a person was going through something completely unexpected. A time when she/he felt as if God were a long, long, long way away if He existed at all.

These are the times when the stories in the Bible become very personal.

Has there ever been a season in your life when you looked at your circumstances and wondered if God really cared?

Do you ever get frustrated looking at other people's lives and thinking that life seems to be working for htem and not you? How do you handle that frustration?

Which is a bigger problem for you--believing in God or dealing with the reality that God does exist yet so does a lot of pain and suffering?

Much of what is written above is taken from the book PLAN B. This book may be purchased at christianbook.com

Blessings, Melanie