The Lord Jesus was innocent, was perfectly righteous. He suffered more than you and I can ever imagine, and remember what God’s Word tells us? ‘When He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.’

Twelve-year-olds Peter, James, and John lived in a small town in western Pennsylvania. Having grown up together in the same church, they had a tight knit friendship. While they enjoyed swimming, exploring the woods, and climbing trees, it was riding their bikes together that they loved most. Their story begins in early summer a few years ago. They were kings of the road, happily cruising over the asphalted streets and cracked sidewalks, feeling the wind in their faces and enjoying the friendly competition as they raced along. They had been taught how to navigate vehicle traffic wisely, but since it was a small town, cars were an infrequent annoyance.

Then tragedy struck. On a humid, June morning, they were racing down a small neighborhood street. Peter had fallen a little behind and he took the turn too fast. His back tire hit a loose rock, causing him to skid out of control and smash into a tree. He broke three ribs, his left arm, and his left ankle. The other two boys, unaware of what happened, continued racing toward a four-way stop. James put on his brakes to check for traffic; John, flushed with competition, went riding straight through, heedless of the car coming from his left. The car did not stop at the intersection either. It struck John and crashed him to the road, breaking ribs, an arm, and a leg. The driver of the car panicked and quickly sped away. As he did, he struck James, who was in shock after witnessing the entire event. The collision threw him to the ground, breaking his ribs, fracturing his elbow and wrist, and severely spraining his ankle. The driver was never caught.  

The trauma that Peter, James, and John endured greatly affected each one. Instead of biking, swimming, and playing, they spent the rest of their summer in surgeries, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. In addition to the physical injuries, each of the friends were confronted with difficult questions. Why did this happen to me? Why would a good God allow this to occur? Is God good? Why did that driver get away? Their parents, their pastor and elders, and their church community wept and prayed, fully aware of how much the ordeal weighed upon these three boys, both in body and in soul. How they responded to this season of suffering would shape the rest of their lives. It was a Thursday afternoon in mid-August when their pastor came by for one of his regular visits.  

Peter, whose tire exploded, had been having a very difficult time in physical therapy. While the arm fracture was painful, it was not terribly serious. The ankle was another thing altogether. A tough lad, he committed himself to the regimen imposed upon him. Slowly, painfully, he regained strength and dexterity in his ankle, but something else nagged at him.

After several minutes of talking with his pastor, Peter asked, “Pastor, why did God allow my bike tire to hit that rock? I mean, if I was one inch to the left or right, none of this would have happened. Is God angry with me? Did I do something wrong to deserve this?”

The minister thought for a few moments and responded, “Peter, is there anything on your mind? Why would you think God is angry with you?”

With tears in his eyes, the boy answered, “No, I am not thinking of anything. I just want to know why this happened.” At this, the pastor pointed to a bird feeder outside the window and replied, “Jesus taught us that not one of these small, insignificant birds can fall from the sky apart from His Father’s will. Now I have two questions for you. First, do you believe that? And second, do you think that you are more important to God than that gold finch?”

With an understanding nod, the boy replied, “I do believe that. Mom has taught me that story a lot. And sure, I know I am more important than a bird.”

With a sense of relief that only pastors really understand, the minister continued, “Good. That’s really good. What would you say if I told you that the Lord put that rock there on purpose? What would you think if I said that God knew exactly what He was doing when your wheel was right where it was, and not an inch to either side?”

His face furrowed in confusion, Peter struggled with the question. Did God do this? Would God do something like this. As he thought about the questions from his pastor, his mind returned to the stories he had heard around his table in family worship. Job had done nothing overtly sinful against the Lord. In fact, the Lord brought some very hard things on Job precisely because he was a godly man. With this in mind, he half asked, half stated, “So God sometimes sends things…no, does things…that are hard? Even things that seem random to us?”

The pastor nodded sympathetically, mindful of the depths of the waters they were entering. “There is nothing random with the Lord, Peter. The Proverbs teach us that not even casting lots—to us something like rolling dice—falls outside of the Lord’s plan (Prov. 16:33). Some may respond to this with anger or doubt, but let me ask you, which is better: that we live in a world in which God is not in total control; or that when we suffer, we know that it comes to us from His fatherly hand? If it is the first one, that is terrifying. If it is the second, we have every reason to trust Him.”

As the weight of truth settled into the boy’s heart, he concluded, “That makes sense. I had been feeling very sorry for myself, since I am missing out on the hiking trip we had planned and am stuck with all this pain. But, I guess, if God is the one who put that rock there, and since He is good, and since I am more important than a bird, then I need to trust God and learn from Him whatever lesson He has for me.”

Smiling, the pastor placed his hand gently on the boy’s good shoulder, “You are beginning to learn and believe something that a lot of grown-ups never do. Keep those things in your heart, Peter. Remember, Jesus suffered more than any of us, and that was part of the work His Father gave Him to do. In our sufferings—which are never random—we are called to trust Him. He is working to make us more like Him. I promise, He will bless this, as hard as it is, and teach you to rest in Him with a maturity you did not used to have.” He read Hebrews 12:5-15, prayed, and left with a heavy but happy heart.      

Since all three boys lived close to one another, the pastor left his car parked on the street and began walking to John’s home. He prayed earnestly because he knew a different situation awaited him there. John, who had sped through the intersection and was struck by the car, was struggling. The fracture in his leg plagued him with pain, but so did the condition of his soul. Both he and his parents knew what had happened, but they directed all the anger and blame at the driver, and at James (the boy who had stopped). The pastor sighed as he walked, pleading with God for wisdom. He knew the driver was at fault—at serious fault—but he also knew there was more to the story. Just how to get there and minister effectively seemed to elude him.

The boy’s tearful mom met him at the door: it had been a difficult day. At physical therapy that morning, John refused to push through the exercises that would strengthen his leg.

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