I believe in God even though there is pain and suffering in the world. Friends of mine always ask me how I can stay so optimistic and believe in a higher power that seems so selfish He won’t even eliminate disease and misery from His own children. I tell them that I like to imagine that God is a beautician. Although there are thousands of beauticians in the world who give wonderful haircuts and styles, there will always be a few million people who have horrible hair or none at all. It is impossible to reach everyone unless they themselves walk into the beautician’s shop. Just like a hair-stylist, God does not reach everyone in the world, and so He asks for them to go to Him and will then help them.
I myself have been one of the millions with “bad hair.” I always knew there was a God but like most of my friends, never understood why He would let evil exist. During my freshman year at an out-of-state college, I was dealing with many of the challenges first year students face. I was out of my element without my friends or family surrounding me. My grandfather had passed away a few weeks into the school year, leaving me to feel even more disconnected from being back home. I also began to deal with an ongoing battle with bulimia and finding my own self-worth. I was miserable and depressed for most of the fall, but above all I was confused.
Although I tried to join a variety of student organizations to surround myself with positive influences, I still felt as though something was bringing me down. It wasn’t until I questioned God with my friend Jaclyn that I was able to accept the truth. She helped me to understand that I was busy worrying about my own problems, expecting God to solve them all, while He was needed more in the lives of others. I realized then that the thing I needed the most was an open mind so I could walk into church and rediscover Him. The weekend I talked with Jaclyn helped me to see for myself, in front of God, that I needed help. I was finally able to be saved once I was able to find Him and talk.
After battling my own conflicts in life, I have come to realize that without problems there would be nothing to overcome. There would be no feeling of accomplishment when you have just made a huge realization or triumphed over something you found challenging. This I believe, that God is as real as the sensation you feel when you cut your finger or battle cancer. Although there are many times when I wish things would be simple and everyone was painless, I have come to believe that God allows suffering and pain in the world for us to overcome, and I thank Him for giving us the opportunity to prove ourselves strong.