I love reading feedback from listeners to FAITH MINUTE. Most of it’s positive, but sometimes it’s critical and hostile. One e-mail said that it was obvious that Leith Anderson had never experienced tragedy in his life.

My first response was defensive and I started making a mental list of family crises. Then I stopped and realized that the listener was probably right. I’ve never been diagnosed with a terminal illness, my home has never burned down and our children are all alive.

None of us seeks tragedy for ourselves nor should we ever wish tragedy on others. However, sooner or later, we’ll all taste some flavor of tragedy. The question is, how will we respond? To me, one of the most comforting things about faith in God is the confidence that God can and will use tragedy for good in our lives.