Why did this happen?

WHY????
This has to be the most pressing question on our minds lately.
With the death of Pastor Pollack, his son and Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter I have noticed a number of people asking why.
Why did this happen to them?
Where was GOD in this?
What is GOD's plan for this tragedy?
These are questions we will never get an answer for.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Psalm 33:11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

These are just a few verses from the Bible that state GOD is in control. It is natural to ask questions but we must not take the focus off of GOD, we must remember that GOD has a plan for everything. We must not turn our questions into sin.
What do I mean by not turning our questioning GOD into sin?
Read the book of Job and you will understand.
Here was a man that GOD pointed out to Satan for him to test. He killed all of his children, servants, flocks, gave him boils all over his body and left him with a wife that was against him. In everything Job went through he questioned GOD and wanted to know why this was happening but he never sinned against GOD. In the end GOD restored him with the exact same number of son's and daughters and made him even wealthier than before. Job kept his focus on his faith in GOD and not on the trials that Satan was using.

When Mark Wynn died I remember so vividly the sound of his wife screaming "NO" over and over when the doctor told her he didn't survive the surgery. I can see the room I was in and all the furnishings, exactly where people were sitting and feeling like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. My immediate reaction was Why Mark? If I had been with them would it have been me? Should it have been me? If it had been me how would my family survive? Where was GOD? Why didn't he save him? How could GOD take him from his wife, son and unknown to Mark a yet unborn son?
Was I allowing Satan to distract me from GOD's will? Yes...
Satan knows our weaknesses. He knows how to use any and every incident to turn our focus from GOD to the "distraction". We must be careful how we reply to every "distraction" to ensure we are not sinning. That is what Satan wants, to get a little wedge between ourselves and GOD. Once that wedge is in there he will gradually keep spreading this gap wider and wider until we are no longer connected to GOD. We are still Christians and bound for heaven but we lose that personal connection to GOD. When something happens in our lives the only place we need to turn it toward our LORD and SAVIOUR. We must also lean on our fellow christian brothers and sisters.
Ephesians 1:22-23
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

To this day when I think of Mark it still causes me pain but I know that he has finished his earthly race toward heaven. Each of us will finish this race and it is up to us how we finish. Do you want to finish your race and hear CHRIST tell you "Well done good and faithful servant" or do you want HIM just to let you in the gates of heaven? Think about this because like I said ALL OF US WILL FINISH THE RACE OF EARTHLY LIFE. No human is immune from this. Only JESUS CHRIST was able to defeat death and finish HIS earthly race on HIS terms.

My gracious HEAVENLY FATHER, I pray that each and every person I come into contact with will see your light shine through me. YOU seem to be bringing your flock home and it makes me wonder if you are about to return. Put a fire in our hearts to put aside our worries and selfish desires and to work toward finishing our earthly race in a way that YOUR SON will tell us "Well done good and faithful servant". Thank you for always being there. Thank you for always being in control. Thank you for loving me even though I don't and never will deserve it.
Amen