Growth Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

[By Grace]

I'm sorry Grace. I don't understand what you're saying.

“Why do bad things happen to good people?” This is an ancient question, though often asked as if it’s new. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes says, “There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing” (Eccl 7:15).
Answers to this age-old question do exist, the simplest is that since people gave into temptation near the beginning, havoc—caused by humans and by evil spirits—has taken hold. The time between now and when God takes full control of the world again is just grace; the moment He does is the end for all evil, including those who have not chosen Christ as their Savior.

The only way to fix the world is to rid it of all evil, but the Preacher doesn’t offer this deductive explanation. Instead, he notes that life is a series of balancing acts, and he uses hyperbole to make his point (Eccl 7:16–17).

The Preacher goes on to say, “For the one who fears God shall come out from both of them”—that is, the bad and good experiences (Eccl 7:18). The real answer to that age-old question is as profound as the original: learn to respect God.
We won’t ever truly understand the complexities of good and evil, or the interactions of light and darkness—just like we will never understand our ever-changing universe—but there is solace in the knowledge that in the end, it’s about respecting God. And the first step towards doing that is having a relationship with Christ


Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Verse 22 says that the whole of creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

No one will dispute that. But it appears that you are taking a personification of an inanimate, non-moral object as something that is able to speak, or moan then you are taking the Scriptures too literally, IMHO

When sin entered, it entered into everything. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit they broke their relationship with each other, other persons and also with nature.

Since sin is technically "missing the mark that God set out" or "breaking an y of the Commandments" it is incomprehensible that you can ascribe anything like that to something that has no capability of either knowing the will of God, nor caqpable of making a free-willed choice to disobey that will of God.

Also, it would be interesting to know what version of the bible you're using. I have 3 English bibles here:
The NIV, the ASV and also the Living Bible. I also checked an Italian bible and also Young's Literal Translation. For verses 20 and 21, where you have "creature" they've translated it "creation". I do trust Young's Literal Translation from the Greek and also the ASV.

All of those are good Bibles, and it is good that you are looking at other Scriptures to compare. Unless it is the KJV, I attempt to make the versions known. But to answer your question, I prefer the electronic versions of the ESV (with study notes) and the Holman because both are based on NT manuscripts that are newer than were around with the NIV. To be really a stickler about the NT Greek, I use the NA 28 or 29(?)

All of creation, all that is living, animals, vegetation, nature, the universe, ALL creation, is awaiting freedom from sin as we also hope in Jesus who will set everything right again. Creation is not moral and does not sin, as you said, however, it is SUBJECT to sin as is evident from all those events you listed. Anything "bad" comes from evil, evil affects everything

.
After all that above, you agree with me. (are we both heretics?) YIKES!

Wondering
P.S. I'm more than sure that I didn't say it was punishment by God. Certainly not. Also, I'll never forget the footage on the news for the Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant failure. It was horrific and I'm really sorry about your son and family and hope they're okay now.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, they were spared by God in all of that. Thanks for asking, and they are stateside.

 

[GodsGrace]

“Why do bad things happen to good people?” This is an ancient question, though often asked as if it’s new. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes says, “There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing” (Eccl 7:15).

Answers to this age-old question do exist, the simplest is that since people gave into temptation near the beginning, havoc—caused by humans and by evil spirits—has taken hold. The time between now and when God takes full control of the world again is just grace; the moment He does is the end for all evil, including those who have not chosen Christ as their Savior.

The only way to fix the world is to rid it of all evil, but the Preacher doesn’t offer this deductive explanation. Instead, he notes that life is a series of balancing acts, and he uses hyperbole to make his point (Eccl 7:16–17).

The Preacher goes on to say, “For the one who fears God shall come out from both of them”—that is, the bad and good experiences (Eccl 7:18). The real answer to that age-old question is as profound as the original: learn to respect God.
We won’t ever truly understand the complexities of good and evil, or the interactions of light and darkness—just like we will never understand our ever-changing universe—but there is solace in the knowledge that in the end, it’s about respecting God. And the first step towards doing that is having a relationship with Christ

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

No one will dispute that. But it appears that you are taking a personification of an inanimate, non-moral object as something that is able to speak, or moan then you are taking the Scriptures too literally, IMHO

Since sin is technically "missing the mark that God set out" or "breaking an y of the Commandments" it is incomprehensible that you can ascribe anything like that to something that has no capability of either knowing the will of God, nor caqpable of making a free-willed choice to disobey that will of God.

All of those are good Bibles, and it is good that you are looking at other Scriptures to compare. Unless it is the KJV, I attempt to make the versions known. But to answer your question, I prefer the electronic versions of the ESV (with study notes) and the Holman because both are based on NT manuscripts that are newer than were around with the NIV. To be really a stickler about the NT Greek, I use the NA 28 or 29(?)

After all that above, you agree with me. (are we both heretics?) YIKES!

Hi Grace,

I don't think we're heretics!

In your paragraphs 6 and 7 you say that I'm taking scripture too literally. No. I don't think so! I'm not saying that I take the evil in nature and personifying it. I'm saying that evil has had an affect on everything, man and nature. That's different if you think about it.

You see evil as a moral choice and that's true. But this understanding of it doesn't explain all the rest of the misery some on this earth are subjected to. You like Ecclesiastes a lot and you say the Preacher says we are to respect God. Okay. I respect Him, so why do I get sick? See. It's not so simple.

Let me just give you this to think about.
In Romans 8:23 NAS or any of the other bibles I have here, there is a contrast between OURSELVES and what comes before in Romans 8:21-22 NAS where it says that "creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption... For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers..."

It's speaking of two different things: ourselves AND creation. We're separated here from creation.

So nature cannot make a moral choice - right. But it can be AFFECTED by the evil in the world, by sin entering the world through Adam's sin (even though it certainly existed even before but God had not allowed it to enter the world).

A dog has no moral values. If it bites a child it doesn't do so because it made a conscious and moral choice. But WHY did it bite the child? What CAUSED this evil act to take place? Evil goes beyond a moral choice.
So a wind could be pleasant and warn or it could be a hurricane. Water could be pleasant for swimming and hearing soothing waves or it could come up to shore with a vengeance and kill. WHAT caused the change?
Evil caused the change.

Think of this. The new earth. The wolf will lay with the lamb Isaiah 11:6-9 NAS and in Revelation 21:1-4 NAS it says how there will be no more tears or mourning or pain or death. So everything will be made new. Evil will be removed. The wolf will lay with the lamb - that's nature, animals. No more mourning or pain. Nature causes much mourning and pain. So not only will WE be made new but also nature will be made new. Nature is part of the new earth.

No more hurricanes, no more dogs biting children. So if when Jesus returns and sets everything free and it includes nature, it must mean that now nature is a part of the sin-filled, or evil-filled world.

Besides this being a traditional Christian concept, it also has helped me very much to understand why bad things happen to ALL of us, good and bad alike. It's the current world system, of which evil is a part.

Wondering

 

[Edward]

The way I figure it, God allows bad things to happen because He's more concerned with our character than He is our comfort.

Bad things (tribulations) shape our character & heart. If life here was all la-de-dah good times then we'd all be a bunch of spoiled brats & whiners.

I heard a quote once...How's it go again?
Oh yeah, Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgment.

Paul writes about all this stuff. That tribulations workers patience, and patience, experience. Experience, hope.../
(Romans 5:3-5)

Paul also teaches us to learn to be content with our station in life. When we're experiencing troubles, I like to remind myself that, it could be worse.
It could be a lot worse.

 

[GodsGrace]

Another idea would be to build up your faith and trust in God when all is going well.
By reading the Word, by studying what God is trying to teach each of one of us - collectively and also on an individual basis since we all have different needs at different times of life.
Then when the bad times come you won't be crushed by them, because you'll be firm in your beliefs.
The time to ask "Why does God let bad things happen to good people" is when all is well. NOT when something bad happens when feelings of resentment could set in.

It's about building on the foundation of Jesus, the solid rock.
1 Corinthians 3:11
This could be taken to mean different things, but I like:
On Him the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.
(from a song I can't remember)

Wondering

 

[By Grace]

The way I figure it, God allows bad things to happen because He's more concerned with our character than He is our comfort.

THAT seems as if AW Tozier wrote it.

Bad things (tribulations) shape our character & heart. If life here was all la-de-dah good times then we'd all be a bunch of spoiled brats & whiners.

Exactamente!

I see weather as a huge system of warm air chilling, and chilly air warming in search of a never-possible equilibrium driven by entropy. That is why I am very reluctant to ascribe evil to weather or land slides or tsunamis or hurricanes.

Paul writes about all this stuff. That tribulations workers patience, and patience, experience. Experience, hope.../
(Romans 5:3-5)

Paul also teaches us to learn to be content with our station in life. When we're experiencing troubles, I like to remind myself that, it could be worse.
It could be a lot worse.

For a simple poster as I am, I rely totally on the sovereignty of God in all cases. He is good, I am not. He knows all, I know partly. He is steadfast, I am fickle. He loves me since before the foundation of the Earth, (Ephesians 1:4) and I cannot grasp that. Nevertheless, it is true.

 

[Edward]

...
For a simple poster as I am, I rely totally on the sovereignty of God in all cases. He is good, I am not. He knows all, I know partly. He is steadfast, I am fickle. He loves me since before the foundation of the Earth, (Ephesians 1:4) and I cannot grasp that. Nevertheless, it is true.

I'm unfamiliar with Tozier...

I used to have a hard time grasping that too, but I think I got a handle on it now. That, and we are seated in heavenly places even now with Him...

Before we were born in the flesh, we must have existed as a Spirit. Otherwise, how could Jesus love us already, if we were non-existent?

We may have (highly probable in fact) walked & talked with Jesus before the foundation of the world.
In genesis,...and man became a living soul...doesn't imply that we had no existence before then, only that we became a living soul then.

We could have been pure spirit-being beforehand. Someday we may find out that we stood with Jesus and perhaps discussed our (upcoming) life as a man on earth. Perhaps we were allowed to offer our input as to the who/what/where/when/whys of our station in life on earth? Wouldn't that be cool, Brother?
It's a little weird, but when I think about this, I can see me standing with Jesus and doing this...!

As far as, being seated in heavenly places even now...that's easy, all through scripture we see examples of spirits merging together (the legion of spirits in the lunatic that were cast into the herd of swine), Christians become one with Christ, with Christ in us, and us in Christ, and Christians being in more than one place at a time (John on Patmos) and
(Elisha spying on the King in his bed-chamber in 2nd Kings 6:12).

God is omnipresent (Satan is NOT) Christ is in us and we are in Christ. Therefore where He is, we are also. These works that He does, we shall do also...and more. John 14:12

Does that make sense?

 

[KevinK]

Hardship tempers the soul
As fire tempers steel.
One will only fully appreciate the Light
After traveling through the Darkness.

In the East, artists paint dark strokes against a white canvas (actually paper). Without a contrasting backround, the brushstrokes would not be visible. God paints white strokes against a dark backround. Same idea, just in reverse.

 

[GodsGrace]

Hardship tempers the soul
As fire tempers steel.
One will only fully appreciate the Light
After traveling through the Darkness.

In the East, artists paint dark strokes against a white canvas (actually paper). Without a contrasting backround, the brushstrokes would not be visible. God paints white strokes against a dark backround. Same idea, just in reverse.

I really like how you explain this.

Sometimes people will ask why they had to get depressed to become saved, or why someone had to get sick to come to know God. I would say to them that when all is going well we don't think about God too much. When something happens we slow down and start thinking about things and realize there's more to life than what we see or feel.

So, yes, if we're in "light" and all is good we can't see it. After being immersed in the dark, we appreciate the light as we come through the dark. White strokes against a dark background. It was also reminding me of John 1:4 and also John 1:9 - Many do not recognize the light.

Wondering
Let me add that I believe God uses the dark to bring us to light - I don't believe he causes the dark.

 

[KevinK]

I really like how you explain this.

Thank you! I had my Yoda on tonight.

 

[stovebolts]

We live in a broken world... a world being reconciled through the sufferings of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Don't tell me everything is alright when it's not... share in my suffering... help me through it. Let me know I'm not alone.

 

[stovebolts]

There is a purpose for our pain. The greater the crisis the greater the destiny.

Some have taken this to mean sin brings out God's grace which brings forth wisdom. This is a dangerous path to follow if one is seeking wisdom and grace.

Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument. Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

 

[stovebolts]

Jesus taught the poor will always be among us but He also said to clothe them.
But we'll never get to a Utopian existence. Because you're right too.
I'll just be reading along.
This is going in the direction of what causes evil.
Or, where does evil come from.
Of course, there is no answer, but reading the replies is interesting.

Wondering

Sometimes no answer is the answer in itself. Paul writes of the depth and richness of God..
Be careful of the questions you ask... it may lead to more questions...

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

It is certainly a conundrum. Is God present in his absence? In other words, it was said God was with Israel and dwelt in the Temple. Yet God abandoned them through exile. Yes, God had a part in their bloody exile from the land. Thus, God was present in His absence during exile.

Riddle me this: It is said that light represents that which is created aka good, and darkness aka evil, is the absence of that which is good, or better stated, the absence of that which is created. If darkness is nothing less than the absence of light. As such, how is that which is not created (evil) created by any other way than the absence of that which is created?

--enjoy

 

[Edward]

More people meet God in the valley than on the mountain. I did.

That's quite the question stovebolts, It'll take some chewing on it first before I attempt an answer...

 

[GodsGrace]

Sometimes no answer is the answer in itself. Paul writes of the depth and richness of God..
Be careful of the questions you ask... it may lead to more questions...

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

It is certainly a conundrum. Is God present in his absence? In other words, it was said God was with Israel and dwelt in the Temple. Yet God abandoned them through exile. Yes, God had a part in their bloody exile from the land. Thus, God was present in His absence during exile.

Riddle me this: It is said that light represents that which is created aka good, and darkness aka evil, is the absence of that which is good, or better stated, the absence of that which is created. If darkness is nothing less than the absence of light. As such, how is that which is not created (evil) created by any other way than the absence of that which is created?

--enjoy

Well, actually, Stovebolts, I'm there already with your riddle.
Many believe that evil is merely the absence of good.
Which is your first sentence.
God is good so God must have created only good.
Evil is the absence of that which was created.
Your second sentence.
So evil must only be that which is not created.

This is how I understand your riddle. But then evil, the bad in everything, would not be real.
It would be something that comes from nothing and that's impossible. If it were true, we could doubt the existence of God.

You may not have read all my posts, I'll just say that I agree with you. Some questions can't be asked. Well, you could ask them, but you're not getting an answer. The problem of where evil comes from is one of them

But every 10 years or so I like to ponder the question. If I get an answer, I'll post!

Wondering
P.S. I like to sleep at night. Please give us the solution to your riddle...

 

[stovebolts]

wondering
I believe that not receiving an answer, is the answer in itself. In retrospect, the answer lay in no answer at all.
As for evil, it most certainly is real. It is as real as the darkness that is able to surround you at times, even to the point of great distress and suffocation.

Paul writes that all things work to the good for those who love Christ Jesus. If this is true, then suffering and darkness also play a role in God's plan for each and every one of us.

God is the God of creation, and when he had finished, he stated that all which he created was "Very Good". We see in Genesis 1 that God created the light, and he separated the darkness from the light. Darkness was not created, but the light shines through the darkness. Jesus said we are the light to the world. Nobody takes a candle and puts it under a bowl... Good is created and the absence of good is evil. Evil is created when there is an absence of goodness / absense of that which is created.

Shalom is the tension between good and evil. Shalom is achieved by doing good, it is that which resists evil by way of good works.

As our brother Edward said, more people encounter God in the valley than they do on the mountain... I so wish this wasn't true and things were reversed...

 

[GodsGrace]

wondering
I believe that not receiving an answer, is the answer in itself. In retrospect, the answer lay in no answer at all.
As for evil, it most certainly is real. It is as real as the darkness that is able to surround you at times, even to the point of great distress and suffocation.

Paul writes that all things work to the good for those who love Christ Jesus. If this is true, then suffering and darkness also play a role in God's plan for each and every one of us.

God is the God of creation, and when he had finished, he stated that all which he created was "Very Good". We see in Genesis 1 that God created the light, and he separated the darkness from the light. Darkness was not created, but the light shines through the darkness. Jesus said we are the light to the world. Nobody takes a candle and puts it under a bowl... Good is created and the absence of good is evil. Evil is created when there is an absence of goodness / absense of that which is created.

Shalom is the tension between good and evil. Shalom is achieved by doing good, it is that which resists evil by way of good works.

As our brother Edward said, more people encounter God in the valley than they do on the mountain... I so wish this wasn't true and things were reversed...

They can't be reversed Stovebolts. When we're in the light, we don't see the light. I touched on this a bit in no. 88. How could we find God when all is going well? We're busy doing what we need to do. We're busy having a good time. We're busy not needing God. Everything is okay so we must be doing well. Who needs God? All is in control - I can be my own God.

So when things take a turn for the worse, we're forced to stop. We're forced to think. Yes. Romans 8:28 All things work together for the good to them that love the Lord. There could be some good in everything. God could take a bad situation and squeeze some good out of it. Or, maybe we're going through a bad time but God knows that this is better for us and something else could have been worse. We see this only at the end of it - and, maybe, after a few times, we could learn to trust God. Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorite scriptures.

I also like Mathew 6:25 but not for the normal reason. I also understand it to mean that God is more important than life or our body. I hate pain.. But I know that without God I'd be able to bear it less, when it happens. I like life, but what would it be worth without God? So it's more than just worrying about how our real needs will be taken care of.

Thanks for Genesis 1. I liked that.

Wondering

 

[stovebolts]

wondering
When my daughter was born somewhere around 25 years ago, it was the happiest day of my life. I recall rejoicing and raising her up to God and thanking him for such a wonderful gift. She completed my life. I felt very close to God on top of that mountain.
Four months later when she died, I cursed God for letting such a tragedy occur... At that time I had never felt so far away from God. It was a dark cold valley. I trusted him, and put my hope in him that my idea of being a Father would bring him glory. My trust was shattered. I hated God.

Years go by... and 2 years ago I bury another daughter. It draws me toward God, yet confusion sets in.

I don't know that I'll ever truly wrap my mind around suffering, but it's something that I live with. I hate it.

I once heard it said that love is the end of happiness. You see, when your around somebody you love, you feel complete and happy. But when that someone isn't around, your happiness can get lost... and there is no joy. You become sad.

Jesus said that he would never leave or forsake us. And some of the darkest times in my life is when I forsook Him.

 

[GodsGrace]

Stovebolts,
In keeping with Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen To Good People, I think we can get into a little heavier stuff here.
I read a book with that title many years ago. It was written by a Rabbi. I was still searching for the answer. Guess what? He didn't really have one either - after writing all those pages.
When I first met Jesus I was about 28 - many years ago. It was great and I was so happy. I had found all the answers! God created the good and satan created the evil. The bad in me, in others, in nature. All bad came from him. So I couldn't understand when a priest would say (I was raised a Catholic) that we don't know why the child is sick or why the child died. And I'd think, wow, I know why - satan did it.

About 10 years after this, I realized a big flaw in my thinking. I still believed satan caused all the bad, but why did God allow it? Oh boy. Back to the drawing board. So that's why I kid around and say that every 10 years I reopen the case. But there's no use reopening it. No answer will be found. Can it be that there are two gods? One good and one bad? Is this heretical?

So we have to deal with God's Providence. We won't ever understand it. It just has to be accepted. We know for sure that Jesus doesn't want us to be unhappy. That's all we could know. It's all we're allowed and it's what we have to hang onto. The reasons why bad things happen will not be known to us on this earth. God h as a big plan and we're a part of it. Suffering has to be a part of it? I guess so. Get your strength when things are good so you won't be crushed forever when they get bad. And we will be crushed, but not forever though the feelings linger.
To Whom Shall We Go Lord? Only You Have The Words Of Life. John 6:68

This I know for sure. There are two powers at play. I want to be on the side of the good power.

Wondering

 

[iLOVE]

wondering
When my daughter was born somewhere around 25 years ago, it was the happiest day of my life. I recall rejoicing and raising her up to God and thanking him for such a wonderful gift. She completed my life. I felt very close to God on top of that mountain.
Four months later when she died, I cursed God for letting such a tragedy occur... At that time I had never felt so far away from God. It was a dark cold valley. I trusted him, and put my hope in him that my idea of being a Father would bring him glory. My trust was shattered. I hated God.

Years go by... and 2 years ago I bury another daughter. It draws me toward God, yet confusion sets in.

I don't know that I'll ever truly wrap my mind around suffering, but it's something that I live with. I hate it.

I once heard it said that love is the end of happiness. You see, when your around somebody you love, you feel complete and happy. But when that someone isn't around, your happiness can get lost... and there is no joy. You become sad.

Jesus said that he would never leave or forsake us. And some of the darkest times in my life is when I forsook Him.

1 Samuel 1:27-28 ESV

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

2 Samuel 12:23 ESV

But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Matthew 19:14 ESV

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

 

[stovebolts]

Stovebolts,
In keeping with Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen To Good People, I think we can get into a little heavier stuff here.
I read a book with that title many years ago. It was written by a Rabbi. I was still searching for the answer. Guess what? He didn't really have one either - after writing all those pages.
When I first met Jesus I was about 28 - many years ago. It was great and I was so happy. I had found all the answers! God created the good and satan created the evil. The bad in me, in others, in nature. All bad came from him. So I couldn't understand when a priest would say (I was raised a Catholic) that we don't know why the child is sick or why the child died. And I'd think, wow, I know why - satan did it.

About 10 years after this, I realized a big flaw in my thinking. I still believed satan caused all the bad, but why did God allow it? Oh boy. Back to the drawing board. So that's why I kid around and say that every 10 years I reopen the case. But there's no use reopening it. No answer will be found. Can it be that there are two gods? One good and one bad? Is this heretical?

So we have to deal with God's Providence. We won't ever understand it. It just has to be accepted. We know for sure that Jesus doesn't want us to be unhappy. That's all we could know. It's all we're allowed and it's what we have to hang onto. The reasons why bad things happen will not be known to us on this earth. God h as a big plan and we're a part of it. Suffering has to be a part of it? I guess so. Get your strength when things are good so you won't be crushed forever when they get bad. And we will be crushed, but not forever though the feelings linger.
To Whom Shall We Go Lord? Only You Have The Words Of Life. John 6:68

This I know for sure. There are two powers at play. I want to be on the side of the good power.

Wondering

It is refreshing to hear from your wisdom.