Real lives: Where is God When Things Go Wrong?
A personal story, by Derek Sewell
It was 1981 and interest rates were rising fast. Recession had hit and many businesses were sinking under a mountain of debt. In such a climate it was no surprise that my parents' Surrey pet shop struggled to stay afloat. Pets were literally being abandoned to fend for themselves rather than pampered as before.
In 1982 the inevitable happened, and my parents found they had no option but to close the shop for good. Penniless, we left our flat above the shop and were forced into a bed and breakfast hostel sharing one toilet, a bathroom and an excuse for a kitchen with nine other families.
My enduring memory is of the room we lived in. It was small, with dried vomit on the blankets, beetles in the polystyrene tiles and scorch marks above the electrical sockets. Meals generally consisted of instant mashed potato, corned beef and salad. Jobs were scarce and tempers became frayed during Dad's frustrating search for work.
My parents had belonged to a local evangelical church for many years. People there lost no time in trying to help, even though everyone was feeling the squeeze. Anonymous food parcels, garage space to store our few possessions and invitations for meals were all gratefully received.
Some families even took turns to welcome me into their homes at weekends to give Mum and Dad a break. However, what my parents valued most of all was the sense of love and the knowledge that our Christian friends were praying for us. The situation dragged on. The council still couldn't find us a permanent place to live but after six months they did move us to a much better guest house. Conditions there were a huge improvement and we were even served breakfast!
All the way through we were happy to move anywhere except to one particular estate which had a very bad reputation. Eventually Dad found a job as caretaker at a local school. With the job came a house - on the dreaded estate! It was not what we would have chosen but it marked the beginning of a new and happier chapter in our lives.
Is this just a story of one family's bad luck? Or is there more to it than that? My parents are sure that even when things were at their hardest, God was involved. One verse from the Bible was very special to them, promising God's help however weak they felt. Rather than blame God for their troubles they saw his care for them through the love of Christian people. In the big scheme of things the move to the infamous estate proved to be God's purpose as from here Mum and Dad were able to help many in the local community. At such a low point in their lives a desire to help others was born.
God doesn't promise an easy life, but he does promise his own personal help in every crisis and struggle we face, if we depend on him.
Where is God when things go wrong? There is a short but helpful book that answers that very question. You can pick up a free copy from Cafe Eterno, 34 Neal Street or from Fair Share at 102 Berwick Street. Just ask at the counter.